


Obstacles

by Shananigans402



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, But Dani isn't her teacher, Drama, Eventual Smut, F/F, Romance, Slow Burn, Student!Jamie, Teacher!Dani, everyone is of legal age, no weird power imbalance issues, teacher/student au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:21:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 33
Words: 199,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27437989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shananigans402/pseuds/Shananigans402
Summary: At 22, Dani Clayton suffers an existential crisis that has her fleeing everything she has ever known in search of freedom, purpose...and maybe even love.Dani never expected that she'd wind up teaching at a secondary school in England. She also never expected to have her life turned on its head after a chance meeting with a mysterious and confident young woman who, unfortunately, just so happens to be a student at her school.
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 2385
Kudos: 1870





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will be a slow burn...I got a bit carried away with setting up Dani's story and it will be a while before Jamie is even introduced, but I promise she'll make her appearance by the end of chapter 2.

It was ironic that the first time Dani Clayton truly felt at home was when she was over 4000 miles away from the town where she grew up.

Yet, that was the only way she could describe the sense of comfort, warmth, and belonging she felt as she sat on a wobbly stool in an underground gay bar tucked away on a side street in London.

Dani had been in the city nearly three months and her semester abroad was coming to an end. Soon, she’d back in Iowa for the summer and then she’d have her final year of college. She knew she should be excited – she’d dreamed of becoming a teacher since she was a kid, spending hours creating and teaching fake lesson plans to her captive audience of dolls. Now, she was only a year away from getting her degree, a job, an apartment with her boyfriend Edmund. Everything she’d been dreaming of was about to come true.

However, after overhearing rumors about a gay bar not far from where she was staying, curiosity got the better of her and she began to idly keep an eye out to see if she could find it. She eventually figured out the location, but it took her a few more weeks to actually get the courage to go in.

Dani tried convincing herself that her interest in visiting the pub was due to the novelty of the situation; another adventure to add to her growing list of new experiences she’d had during her semester abroad. However, there was something deeper, something she kept hidden, that was pulling her toward the club until one night she summoned the courage to go in.

What she found was underwhelming, but exhilarating. The dimly lit bar looked like nearly every other pub she’d been in over the last several months and she was almost convinced she had the wrong place. When she looked closer, she realized that what set this place apart was the couples talking, drinking, and flirting together were of the same gender. There were both men and women in the bar to be sure, but the men seemed to be grouping around other men, while the women were clustered around the other side of the venue.

Dani felt her nerves spike as she made her way over to the bar to order a beer. She could feel the gaze of several people on her as she took a seat on an empty bar stool, though she wasn’t sure if it was solely because she was an unfamiliar face in a place that clearly prided itself on being under-the-radar.

When her beer was place in front of her, Dani nervously sipped it as she risked a glance around. Some people did seem to be eyeing her suspiciously while others…well, others seemed less suspicious and more intrigued.

It wasn’t long before someone came over to talk to her and the next hour and a half was filled with small talk with a handful of women who came over to get to know the new girl. Although Dani had been terrified at first, by her third beer and fourth conversation of the night, she found the nerves were long gone and she was simply enjoying herself.

When the current woman she was talking to returned to her friends, getting the hint like the others before her that Dani wasn’t interested in anything more than pleasant conversation, Dani shifted her attention to the mirror behind the bar. As she looked at her reflection, Dani realized that she was more relaxed and content than she’d seen herself in years, maybe ever.

As she finished her beer, she reflected on this realization and tried to figure out what was the cause of her contentment. She ultimately decided it wasn’t any one thing, but a combination of many things. She was away from the hometown that had felt more and more oppressive with each year that passed; a constant reminder of her father’s death and her mother’s descent into alcoholism. Here, she wasn’t defined in relation to anyone else; she wasn’t Karen Clayton’s daughter, or Edmund O’Mara’s girlfriend. She didn’t have responsibilities to uphold, no one had any expectations of her. She could be whoever she wanted, or better yet, be truly herself without anyone else telling her what to think, do, or say.

So, on a Tuesday evening, in a small, hidden gay bar in London, Dani Clayton felt she was home.

Despite not going back to that particular bar for the remainder of her trip, the feeling stuck with Dani when she returned to Iowa. The uncomfortable sensation of feeling out of place in her childhood home in the town she grew up lasted throughout the summer until the memory of how safe and comfortable and free she had felt in that little bar began to fade. It wasn’t that she forgot, simply that the more time that passed, the fainter the memory seemed. She began to lose herself in the familiar routine of her daily life as she prepared for her final year of college.

By the end of the fall semester, the self-acceptance she’d discovered in London had all but faded into a distant memory. Her plans for the future were on track and steadily moving forward – until Eddie decided he couldn’t wait any longer to ask her to be his wife. The unexpected question received a startled yes in reply, and from there plans for the future seemed to be thrown around at a dizzying rate. Her mother wouldn’t stop talking about an engagement party, while Edmund’s mother seemed to skip straight ahead to planning their wedding. Eddie was focused on finding a job for after he graduated; all he could talk about was applying for jobs located in good neighborhoods with good schools – both for Dani to work in and for their future kids to attend.

Dani felt as if her control over her future was slipping out of her hands. Those who were closest to her - her mother, Eddie, Judy O’Mara - had taken the wheel and she was just along for the ride, letting them steer her towards where they wanted her to go.

As graduation loomed closer, Dani became panicked by the realization that she had become a pawn in someone else’s game. The choices she was making, the life she was planning, it didn’t feel like it was truly her own. She desperately tried to get back that sense of self-acceptance she had felt nearly a year earlier in that bar in London only to have it dawn on her that she didn’t know who she truly was. That pivotal moment in the bar had only taught her that she could exist outside of other people’s expectations. That she was allowed to have thoughts and desires and dreams that were for her and no one else. But she only had the faintest idea of who Dani Clayton was. Who she could be.

Plans continued to pile up around her and she continued to go through the motions of her life, while secretly succumbing to an existential crisis.

The engagement party was scheduled, job interviews were arranged at schools Eddie deemed to be in an acceptable location, bridal magazines and real estate listings began piling up on every surface of the house.

And then the night after her graduation, after the guests had gone and Dani was alone in her room going through her cards and collecting the graduation money, she was struck by an idea so suddenly that it seemed to knock every other thought clear out of her mind.

She had to leave.

Dani couldn’t stay here, in this house, in this town, with the people she loved the most, for a moment longer. Every day she was losing herself a little bit more and she knew it would never stop, not unless she left.

She remained motionless on her bed, deep in thought, for so long her legs had fallen asleep by the time she finally sprang up from the bed. Dani winced and took a moment to recover before she let her newfound sense of mental clarity guide her through all of the motions. Bags were packed, money was stashed securely away, her important documents, including her passport, were located and tucked away in her purse. She spent the early hours of the morning sneaking quietly around the house, making sure she hadn’t overlooked anything important.

Hours ticked by as she packed and checked and thought and planned, waiting for her resolve to waver, for her conscience to tell her that she couldn’t go, that she had to stay, but it was silent. She felt sure and calm and excited.

The only time she questioned her decision was when she sat at her desk, a stack of paper laid out before her to be filled with explanations she wasn’t sure she had. She did her best to convey her heartfelt apologies to those she knew would be hurt the most by her sudden departure. She wrote until her hand began to cramp and the early morning light began to peek through her curtains.

As she stood up from her desk, she hoped the three envelopes labeled Mom, Edmund, and Judy would offer their recipients some peace of mind. She placed a hand gently over the one addressed to Edmund, feeling the outline of the ring she’d tucked inside along with the letter. She knew he would take her departure the hardest, but she couldn’t stay just to keep him from hurting.

With a deep breath, Dani gathered her bags and headed out the door.

* * *

“Why are you applying for this job?”

Dani straightened up in her chair, prepared for the question that popped up at some point in every interview. “Well, teaching is my passion, and I would be honored to have the opportunity to work with the students…”

“No,” Henry Wingrave said as he shook his head and leaned forward in his chair, arms resting on the desk. “Spare me the canned response. I’m wondering why an American who is only just barely qualified to teach in the States, has decided to apply for a teaching position for an underperforming state school in South Yorkshire. Hardly seems like a young American’s dream position.”

The blunt tone and suspicious edge to Mr. Wingrave’s voice startled Dani and she took a moment to collect her thoughts before responding. Besides desperately needing a job for a work visa and a source of income, she had no real reason for why she had responded to this ad. But she wasn’t about to admit defeat, not after nearly two dozen job interviews at other schools had failed to result in a job offer.

“You’re right, it probably wouldn’t be a dream position for most Americans. But I’m not your typical American, I actually have some experience teaching in English schools…”

“The semester abroad, yes,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand as he leaned back in his chair, “I saw that you spent, what? Three and a half months teaching at a primary school in London. I don’t know whether to be more offended that you consider three months to be noteworthy experience or that you think running around playing games with children makes you a qualified teacher for a secondary school.”

Dani felt her anger flare up at the man’s rude comments but she forced herself to remain calm, reminding herself she desperately needed a job. “Mr. Wingrave, I’m qualified to be a teacher. I received top grades in my college courses and glowing evaluations from all my teaching practicums, including the one in London that you’re so eager to write off. I’ve already done the work of getting my certification letter to teach in this country at a primary or secondary level, so if it’s my qualifications you’re worried about, then there’s no need.”

Henry shifted in his chair, seemingly uncomfortable with being spoken to in such a direct manner. “Yes, well, you may have the proper qualifications, but it doesn’t mean you’re prepared to teach a year you have little to no experience with in a country you’ve barely spent any time in. Why should I hire you over someone with more experience who I wouldn’t need to sponsor for a work visa?”

“That’s a valid question,” Dani agreed with a nod. She couldn’t fault him for asking that when it was the reason she’d been turned down at every other interview. “And I think it ultimately comes down to the fact that you need a teacher who will stay, and I need a job that will give me that work visa. I’ve done my research, Mr. Wingrave. I know this school has an extraordinarily quick turnover of teachers. It’s one of the worst schools in all of Yorkshire, which probably isn’t much of a selling point for anyone local looking for a job. I’m guessing your rude attitude has more to do with being tired of filling these positions than any real dislike for me or my qualifications.”

Dani paused to quickly assess the situation. Mr. Wingrave looked taken aback, but not entirely put off by anything she had said. Leaning forward in her chair, she continued, “So, let me save you the trouble of meeting with candidates who are probably just trying to get experience with interviewing before they go after the jobs they actually want – offer me the job. Yes, you’ll have to put in some additional work for the visa process, but you’ll also know the hassle of trying to find another place to sponsor me for a visa will likely keep me here for a few years at the very least. You won’t have to worry about filling my position by spring.”

Dani leaned back in her chair, taking the man’s contemplative silence as a good sign. She decided to keep going, knowing this was the closest she’d been to securing a position since she’d arrived nearly two months ago. “And as for why I want to work here – I’m a good teacher, sir. My favorite part of my job is finding the kids who need a little extra help and support and watching them realize their potential. From the sounds of it, this school is filled with kids like that. I know it won’t be easy, but I’d really like the opportunity to try and make a difference here.”

A long silence stretched between them as they held each other’s gaze as if waiting to see who would back down first. Eventually, Henry sat up in his chair with a nod, “You’ve made a strong case, Miss Clayton and I’m inclined to give you a chance. There are a couple of positions that still need to be filled before start of term in a few weeks. As reluctant as I am to have an American teaching English, I think you’d be better suited to that than history, given that you are likely unfamiliar with English history well enough to teach it to the year 10 students.”

“I love English,” Dani said with a smile. His comment about her knowledge of English history was spot on so she wasn’t about to argue with his assumption. “It was my favorite subject in school and I excelled in all of my language and literature courses in college.”

“Very well. I suggest you brush up on British English so you don’t penalize students for the correct spelling of words,” Henry said with a smirk.

“Actually, Mr. Wingrave, American and British spellings of words used to be pretty interchangeable by people in America and the UK. It wasn’t until Samuel Johnson wrote a dictionary to set a British standard and Noah Webster created one to set an American standard that the preference for certain spellings really started,” Dani explained with a small smile playing on her lips. “But don’t worry, I’ll make sure the children are taught British English.”

Henry seemed surprised and uncomfortable by the unexpected language lesson and only responded with a nod. He stood up from his chair, prompting Dani to do the same, and extended his hand across the desk, “Welcome to Goldthorpe Academy, Miss Clayton.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed chapter 1! I'll try to get chapter 2 posted soon, but please let me know what you think so far. 
> 
> A huge thank you to colour_outside_the_lines. She taught me everything I know about the English school system and helped me find a place to set this story. Any mistakes about England/the school system in this story will be mine and anything that makes even a small amount of logistic sense will be due to her.
> 
> To all my fellow Americans - today is a very exciting day! I decided to celebrate by posting a new fanfic story haha.
> 
> Also the story title comes from the song Obstacles by Syd Matters. It's not super relevant to the story, I just like it.


	2. Chapter 2

The last bits of afternoon sunlight filtered in through the open living room window. A gentle breeze pushed aside the curtain and moved around the room, causing Dani to cuddle further into the blanket draped over her shoulders.

She was curled up on the couch in her small flat, books and papers scattered around as she reviewed her lesson plan for the first week of her new job. The new school year started the next day and Dani was both excited and nervous.

She was thrilled to actually be starting a job teaching English to year 7 students. Honestly, she was relieved when she found out she had year 7. She would have preferred teaching in a primary school, but if she had to teach secondary school, then the 11-year-olds just starting their secondary school journey was an ideal match.

However, with the start of anything new, there were the usual worries about making a good impression and finding her place in the school. Over the last two weeks, she’d met several other teachers while she set up her classroom and attended meetings to prep for the school year, but most of the other teachers were older and seemed reluctant to exchange more than passing pleasantries with the young new teacher. Dani knew she was bound to stick out simply because she was American, but she hoped not everyone would be so dismayed by her nationality as Mr. Wingrave had been.

With a sigh and a long stretch, Dani stood up and walked over to the tiny kitchen tucked just behind the living room. She put the kettle on the stove and surveyed her surroundings. She’d been in the flat for two weeks, having rented it as soon as her position at Goldthorpe Academy had been finalized. It was small, the décor was dated, and it was drafty even in the summer – but Dani loved it. It was a place that was all her own where she could do and say what she wanted and be who she wanted to be without anyone else around to impose their own rules and expectations on her.

The three months she’d been in England had been the best of her life – even better than when she’d been studying abroad. She didn’t have a looming end date to her adventure, her future seemed vast and full of possibilities waiting to be explored.

After making a cup of tea that still tasted different from what she ordered from the local coffeeshop despite her many attempts to emulate it, she sat down at the kitchen table to sort through the mail she’d received earlier that day. She split the bills and junk mail into two piles, noticing she hadn’t received a letter from her mother this week.

Even though Karen Clayton was still upset with her daughter for skipping town without a proper goodbye or even a real explanation, her anger had cooled over the course of the summer to the point she would regularly exchange letters with Dani. They communicated by phone less frequently due to the cost of calling long distance and the fact that Dani didn’t yet have her own landline.

Dani was grateful her mother hadn’t turned her back on her for leaving; she hadn’t heard a word from Edmund or his mother, but she figured that was to be expected after what she had done. She was sure her mother had told them where she was, maybe even given them her address. But they’d made no attempts to contact her. To be fair, it wasn’t like Dani had made an effort to reach out to them either. She felt guilty for hurting Eddie and didn’t think it would be right to reach out and cause him further pain if he was trying to move on.

After she finished her tea, she stood up to throw away the junk mail and washed out her cup. Dani busied herself with organizing and cleaning the apartment to distract from thoughts of the ones she’d left behind as well as her worries over the start of her new job. When it was finally an acceptable time for bed, Dani was exhausted and ready to get a good night’s sleep before the start of her new adventure.

* * *

Before her first day was even over, Dani was certain of three things – she was overwhelmed, more so than she’d ever been in her life; she had absolutely no clue what she was doing despite her carefully thought out lesson plans; finally, and perhaps most importantly, she absolutely loved it.

All of her teaching experience prior to this point had been with younger children, which presented its own challenges and rewards. The classroom full of eleven-year-olds she was now in charge of wasn’t too dissimilar from the fourth-grade class she had co-taught her senior year of college, except for one major difference – these students, still children, were just starting out at a school filled with teenagers and they were absolutely terrified.

Dani could relate to the feeling of being new at Goldthorpe Academy and also to the general feeling of being scared to begin a new adventure. Fortunately, she was able to draw on her own experiences to reassure her students and instill them with both confidence and excitement to start the school year.

Despite only having spent an hour with each class, Dani knew she was easily going to get attached to her students. Sure, she could already start to spot the troublemakers, but she was going to spend the year trying to figure out what was causing them to act out and try to help them as best she could.

Her first three classes of the day had gone well; she had one more before her lunch break and then one after. It was surprising how quickly they day was going, but perhaps it shouldn’t have been such a surprise given how busy she’d been trying to adapt her lesson plan based on what challenges each new class threw at her.

The next class of the day filed in and Dani started off with introductions before giving her overview of the class. She then gave the students time to ask any questions they had about her class or about school in general – an adjustment to the day’s schedule that she’d made based on her experience with the first three classes.

“Excuse me, Miss Clayton. What time is the dinner break?” One student asked after she called on them.

“You have dinner here?” Dani asked, eyes wide in surprise. She knew she was supposed to be answering their questions and not asking them, but that was one of the disadvantages to her being so new as well.

“Of course we do,” another student replied with a scoff, “Do they not give you school dinners in America?”

“I thought the school day was over by 3:30,” Dani said as she furrowed her brow in confusion, wondering if students really stayed until dinner time.

“Dinner is what you would call lunch in America,” a third, more reserved student explained, “And what you would refer to as dinner, we would call supper or tea.”

Dani’s confused expression quickly turned to one of embarrassment as she nodded along, “Oh right, I knew that.” She shook off her embarrassment at the oversight and fixed the first student who had initially asked the question with a smile, “The dinner break starts right after this class ends at 12:30.”

“Miss Clayton, if we get lost and are late to class, will we get detention?”

Dani paused and tried to figure out how to reassure the anxious-looking student without encouraging others to start showing up late. “I know it’s a bigger school than you’re used to so it will take some time to figure it all out. But after the first week you all should know how to get to your classes, so if you’re late you get a warning. After three warnings, you get detention.”

“Do we have to buy our own books, Miss Clayton?”

Dani glanced over at the boy who had asked and noticed he looked nervous at the thought. She shook her head and gave him a friendly smile, “No, all of the books we’re reading this year are provided by the school. But it’s everyone’s responsibility to take care of them, so no drawing in your books or tearing out pages – if you return them in a different condition than you received them, you will have to pay for a new one.” She cast a warning glance around the classroom, hoping to convince the students to take good care of school property although she knew there would inevitably be lost and damaged books by the end of the year.

“Why do Americans spell words wrong?” Another student asked with a cheeky smirk.

Dani simply smiled at the boy, knowing he was likely to be one of her troublemakers this year, and launched into a similar explanation that she’d given Mr. Wingrave during her job interview. Even though it was only the first day of school, she figured they could learn an important lesson about the history of the language.

When the class period ended, Dani grabbed the lunch she’d prepared at home and nervously made her way to the teacher’s lounge. She’d had no problem meeting dozens of new students today, but the thought of having to socialize with other teachers was terrifying. She wasn’t sure whether it was the fact she was the youngest teacher, decades younger than some of the teachers; or perhaps she was self-conscious about being the only American since she was still stumbling her way through figuring out the differences between American and English schools.

She stepped into the lounge and quickly scanned the room from the doorway. A small sigh of relief escaped her when she spotted an empty seat near Rebecca, one of the few teachers who’d actually made an effort to talk to her during the staff meetings over the last few weeks.

“Hi, is this seat taken?” Dani asked as she approached the table where Rebecca was seated with another woman who looked a bit older than them, Dani would guess in her mid 30’s.

“No, in fact, I was saving it for you,” Rebecca explained with a warm smile. “I’m anxious to hear how your first day is going. Hopefully the students haven’t scared you away from our little school yet?”

Dani grinned when she realized Rebecca had saved the seat for her and felt some of her nerves fade away as she sat at the table. “Far from it, they’ve all been very sweet – nervous of course, since it’s their first day here too, but so far they’ve been surprisingly well-behaved.”

“That doesn’t sound right, are you sure you’re teaching students at Goldthorpe?” The other woman at the table asked with a teasing smile. “I’m Hannah Grose, by the way. I’m the librarian.”

“Hi, I’m Dani Clayton,” she introduced herself with a smile after chuckling at Hannah’s joke.

“You’re only saying that because you have to see students of all ages,” Rebecca pointed out to Hannah, “Especially the ones who are dumb enough to think they can get away with breaking the rules because the library is full of dark corners – you probably see more bad behavior than the rest of us. You’re forgetting Dani’s teaching year 7, she has the sweet, new ones who haven’t yet been corrupted by their older peers.”

“That’s a good point,” Hannah agreed with a nod. “Enjoy it while you can. Soon enough they’ll be walking around thinking they know everything and that school is a waste of their time.”

“Don’t let her scare you,” Rebecca added with a laugh, “I teach year 8 and they’re still fairly well-behaved. It’s the upper years you really have to worry about. You should be grateful you don’t have to teach sixth form. Those students think the rules don’t apply to them just because they could have left after year 11.”

Dani shook her head in confusion, “I really need to study up on the English education system. I thought I was doing pretty well when I finally figured out which years correspond with American grades.”

“You’ll figure it out, and if you have any questions, you can always ask Rebecca or myself,” Hannah said with a warm smile.

“Thanks,” Dani replied with a grateful sigh, glad that she at least had a couple of people who were being kind to her. She opened the bag she’d brought and pulled out her lunch.

“You brought your meal from home,” Rebecca observed. “Owen will be very disappointed. He was really looking forward to meeting the American.”

Dani glanced up from her food and looked between Rebecca and Hannah to see if she’d done something wrong. She watched Hannah shift slightly, although she wasn’t sure whether it was due to her lunch or Rebecca’s comment. “Yeah, I just figured I’d be prepared on the first day in case I couldn’t find the dining hall. Do most teachers buy lunch here? And who’s Owen?”

“Don’t let her get to you,” Hannah said with a low chuckle. “It’s perfectly fine to bring your dinner. Owen’s the school cook and a dear friend of ours. His talents are wasted here; he trained in Paris, which is a shame for him, but quite fortunate for the students and staff here.”

“Oh wow, a school cook trained in Paris? That’s way fancier than any of the schools in America. Most of the time the cafeteria ladies just reheated frozen vats of food.”

Rebecca and Hannah both laughed at the joke and Rebecca shook her head, “It truly is a shame he isn’t running his own restaurant. But I must say that selfishly I’m glad he’s here, he really is one of the nicest people you will ever meet.”

“Perhaps even too nice,” Hannah added, though her smile was affectionate as she said it. “The worst thing about him is his affinity for puns and bad jokes.”

Rebecca let out a groan of agreement while Dani laughed, “Well, he sounds great. I’ll have to get my dinner from the dining hall tomorrow so I can meet him.” The thought of potentially having three new friends at the school brought a smile to Dani’s face that remained all through the rest of the dinner break and through her final class of the day. As Dani headed home that evening, she found herself eagerly anticipating another day of her new life.

* * *

The rest of Dani’s first week seemed to go by just as well as the first day. She was still overwhelmed trying to keep up with the differences of a new school system and working with an older group of students, but she was adjusting and adapting at a surprisingly quick rate.

She had met Owen, the school cook, and he certainly lived up to the high expectations Rebecca and Hannah had set, both with the food and his puns. She’d been shocked her first day in the dining hall to see they were serving quiche as a dinner option, and Owen had happily served her a mini quiche, stating that he was very ‘eggcited’ to meet her. Since then, she’d been getting her mid-day meal in the dining hall every day, and sitting with Rebecca and Hannah in the teacher’s lounge, quickly forming a friendship with the two women.

By Friday, Dani felt she was already slipping into a routine, though she knew there would be plenty of challenges and adjustments ahead of her. Still, she couldn’t help but be happy with how well she got on with both her students and some of the staff.

“Miss Clayton?”

Dani glanced over from where she was writing on the chalkboard to see the school secretary standing in the doorway.

“Phone call for you in the front office,” the secretary said with a slight frown on her face.

“Oh, would you mind just taking down the number and I can call on my lunch break? Or, um, dinner break?” Dani asked with a kind smile.

“This is the third call this morning,” the secretary replied with an irritated edge to her voice. “It must be quite urgent.”

Dani’s eyebrows raised in surprise, “Wow, yeah. Um, I guess I need to take that,” she said as she began trying to figure out who would be calling with such urgency. She glanced at the clock and noticed there were five more minutes before the dinner break. “Can you ask them to hold for a few minutes? Or call back at noon?”

The secretary continued to look displeased, but nodded before she left the classroom. Dani did her best to continue focusing on the remainder of the lesson, but was all too happy when it was time to let the students go for dinner.

She hurried down the hall to the front office, doing her best not to collide with any students eagerly making their way to the dining hall. When she reached the office, the secretary simply gestured to the phone.

“He’s on hold on line 3,” she explained before returning her attention to her work.

Dani nodded and lifted the handset before pressing the button beside the blinking light, “Hello, this is Dani.”

“About time!” The voice on the other end cried out in exasperation. “It’s not enough you just up and leave but now you’re too busy to even take a phone call?”

“Edmund?” Dani asked, her face and voice reflecting the shock coursing through her. “No, it’s not like that…I mean, it’s just…how did you even get this number?” She found herself tripping over her words as her mind raced with all the reasons he might be choosing now to call. Had something happened to her mother? Was there some major event back home that she needed to know?

“Your mom gave it to me, said you didn’t have your own line yet. Do you know how much it’s going to cost me just trying to reach you today? I mean, England Dani? What the hell?”

Dani took a deep breath, doing her best to stay calm even though she felt anything but. She was very aware that now was not the time or place for this type of call. “I get that you’re upset and I know we have a lot to talk about. But…I’m at work so now’s not the best time. Can I call you later?”

“Oh, well sorry to inconvenience you,” Edmund huffed in exasperation, “How can I possibly believe that you’ll call me back when you just up and walked out without a goodbye or an explanation? Just a letter!”

Dani bit down hard on her lip as her hand tightly gripped the handset in an attempt to keep control of her emotions. “Edmund, I’m at work. I will call you tonight, I promise. I know you have every right to not believe me, but deep down you know I would never break a promise like this.”

“Like you broke our engagement?” He muttered before taking a deep breath, “Fine, I’ll give you my new number. The number for the apartment we were supposed to be living in together.”

His pointed tone stabbed through her, but she took a breath to try not to react. “Okay,” she agreed as she grabbed a piece of paper to jot down the number. She noticed that every pair of eyes in the office seemed to be focused on her, but she tried to block it out. As if she hadn’t attracted enough attention in her first week, now she could add having an awkward, personal phone call in public to the list.

“I’ll call you as soon as I finish work, around 10 your time,” Dani said, getting a grunt in reply before the call was disconnected.

She returned the handset to the cradle and took a slow breath before turning to the secretary with a forced smile, “I’m so sorry about that. I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

Without waiting for a reply, although she doubted she would have gotten one, Dani turned and quickly left the office. She kept up the quick pace, glad the halls were empty and no one was around to see the way her lip began to quiver as tears pooled in her eyes.

Dani hurried out of the side entrance to the school, walking until she was tucked away around a corner out of view of anyone entering or exiting the building. She leaned heavily against the side of the building and began taking deep breaths, trying to regain control of her emotions even as hot tears began to slip down her cheeks.

“Rough day?”

A startled cry escaped Dani’s lips as she straightened up and snapped her head over to see a young woman leaning against a nearby tree, a lit cigarette between her fingers. Dani could tell from her uniform that she was a student; but fortunately, she was much too old to be one of Dani’s students. She assumed the student was in sixth form – if it wasn’t for the uniform, Dani would have easily guessed the young woman to be around her own age.

“Um yeah,” Dani said, letting out a weak chuckle in an embarrassed attempt to laugh off her current state of distress. She raised a hand to quickly wipe away the tears that had slipped out. “Sorry, I didn’t know anyone was out here. I just needed to take a minute to clear my head.”

The young woman took a drag of her cigarette as she looked at Dani appraisingly, “So you’re the new teacher from America.”

Dani closed her eyes and sighed. She wasn’t surprised that word about the new American teacher had gotten around the entire school, but she was disappointed in herself because now people would add ‘emotionally unstable’ to that list of descriptors. She opened her eyes and gave a small nod, “Yeah that’s me. Guess us Americans are as weird as you’d expect,” she added in an attempt to mollify the awkward situation with some levity.

“I don’t think you’re so weird,” the young woman responded, her lips quirking up ever so slightly. “Believe me, I’ve seen more than my fair share of weird and completely bizarre people around here. But hiding outside to have a cry during the school day? That’s probably the most English thing you could do. Hide the emotions, don’t let anyone see, and then cry deeply when you’re alone, any chance you get.”

Dani couldn’t help the smile that appeared despite her lingering embarrassment. She knew the student was just trying to make her feel better, but surprisingly it was working. “That’s the English way, huh?”

The young woman nodded as she exhaled a stream of smoke, “Why do you think I’m out here? This was supposed to be my private crying spot before you came out and claimed it with your tears.”

Dani laughed, a quick burst of laughter that escaped before she even realized it. She knew she should be embarrassed that a student was the one cheering her up, but she found all her negative thoughts and emotions were disappearing at an alarming rate. “And here I thought you came out to have a smoke…which I’m pretty sure isn’t allowed on school property,” Dani gently chided, wanting to establish some sense of authority after her near breakdown.

Despite being called out for breaking the rules, the young woman merely smirked and took another drag of her cigarette. “Well, if we always did what we were supposed to do, life would be pretty boring, wouldn’t it?”

The words hit Dani hard and she immediately thought back to all the things she had been ‘supposed to do’; all the plans that she had left behind. And honestly, life had been anything but boring since then. She held the young woman’s gaze as she wondered if this mysterious stranger could somehow see right through her, see her secrets and her life story as clearly as if it was written out for her. The intensity behind the stunning eyes fixed on her held Dani’s focus and it wasn’t until she remembered the other woman was a student that she shook herself out of her trance and cleared her throat.

“That may be true, but lunch is almost over so you better get to your next class on time. Can’t let you get away with breaking too many rules.”

The young woman dropped her cigarette butt on the ground, but a smirk still played on her lips, “Lunch?”

“Dinner,” Dani corrected, cursing herself for still having trouble adjusting to the proper term and for setting herself up to be playfully teased by the student who had seen her crying. If she wanted to be respected at the school, she needed to have better control over herself.

“See you around,” the young woman said as she picked her bag up off the ground and headed towards the side entrance to the school.

Dani waited until she was gone before letting out a deep sigh. The unexpected encounter was odd to be sure, but she realized she was ultimately grateful the young woman had been there to make her smile and laugh as she now felt ready to go back inside and face her last class of the day.

While Dani knew she should probably be worried that a student had just seen her in such a vulnerable state, something told her the young woman wasn’t the type to go and gossip to her friends. From Dani’s experience, most young people with friends to gossip to didn’t spend their school breaks alone outside comforting crying teachers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed chapter 2! Feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think so far; comments are very much appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple people were asking about Jamie's age/the age difference between Dani and Jamie. I've intentionally left it a mystery since this story is from Dani's POV and she doesn't yet know, but I did just want to reassure everyone that both characters are legal adults and over the age of consent. Over the US age of consent (18), I might add, since it's 16 in the UK (yikes).
> 
> No Jamie in this chapter, but she'll be back in the next chapter (which I'll try to have up by the weekend)!

Throughout the rest of the school day, Dani was relieved to find that she was able to keep her thoughts off of Edmund and the near breakdown she’d had during the break. 

However, she was less pleased to find that her thoughts often wandered back to the mysterious student who had helped to calm her down. She wished she’d at least gotten the young woman’s name; although, she knew that would probably lead to her subtly asking around to find out more about the student, so perhaps it was better that she didn’t know.

Without the distraction of students and lesson plans, Dani’s mind replayed her interaction with the young woman on a continuous loop during her fifteen-minute walk home. She didn’t know why she couldn’t stop thinking about the student, but she had a feeling it was because of the sense of comfort, familiarity, and ease that she had felt ever since the young woman had first made her smile. 

By the time she reached her flat, Dani was so focused on trying to distract herself from thinking about the student that she almost forgot she had promised Edmund she would call him. Fortunately, she recalled her promise as soon as she picked up her mail and saw a letter from her mother, the reminder of home bringing back thoughts of the unpleasant call earlier in the day. She glanced at the clock in the kitchen, noticing it was a few minutes before 4 and she wasn’t yet late to call him at the time she had promised. 

Dani grabbed her long-distance phone card and shoved a few tissues in her pocket, knowing she would likely need them, before she headed back out the door. Although there was a phone booth right outside her flat, she passed by it enroute to one that was a bit further away, tucked down a side street where there was little foot traffic and less chance of anyone interrupting her during what was sure to be a difficult call. 

When she spotted the adorable red phone booth, she found the charming, quintessentially British structure didn’t make her smile due to her growing unease about the call. Dani safely shut herself inside the booth before lifting the handset and punching in the number for the phone card to start the long-distance call. 

“Hello?”

“Edmund, hi. It’s me,” she greeted, her voice coming out hesitant and laced with nerves.

There was a pause, followed by a sigh, “Thanks for calling me back, I guess.”

Dani could tell that the anger he’d been directing at her earlier had since passed, though she knew it may build again once they got to talking. She honestly thought she might prefer anger to the sad, deflated tone he had now. 

“Of course,” she replied, her own voice becoming a little stronger in the absence of being met with outright hostility. “Listen, I know you probably have a lot you want to say and a lot of questions, and we’ll get to them, but I just wanted to start off by saying how incredibly sorry I am for leaving the way I did. I know it was wrong to just disappear like that and I know I hurt you, and I just want to apologize for that. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“Then why leave?” 

It was a question he deserved an answer to. She just didn’t know where to begin with answering it. 

“I just…I had to leave. I couldn’t stay there anymore. It felt like everything was happening so fast and it was all slipping out of my control. It didn’t feel like my life anymore, it felt like I was just doing things to make everyone else happy. And…and I didn’t want that. I want to make my own decisions and experience new things. I want to have options for my future and I felt like with the way things were going, the rest of my life was all planned out and I just had to go along and play a part. I couldn’t do it, I had to leave.”

She knew her explanation wouldn’t make much sense to Edmund. He was someone who had always thrived off having his next steps carefully planned out. He had planned on having her as his wife since he was 10 years old. However, he hadn’t counted on her having different plans; plans that didn’t include him being her husband.

“You can have options. We don’t have to stay in Iowa,” Eddie insisted. “We can go wherever you want. I can even come to England, I mean, maybe not forever because I think the US is a better option for us long-term. But we can live there for a while and experience the new things you want. I just…I wish you had talked to me before you left. We could have made plans together, done this the right way without you sneaking out and leaving everyone behind.”

Dani closed her eyes and leaned back against the glass paneled wall of the phone booth. She’d been expecting anger and yelling and blaming; not this. She wasn’t prepared for this. “Eddie…I love you; you know I do. You’re my best friend in the whole world and I always want you to be a part of my life. But this, what I’m doing now, this is something I have to do by myself. I need to figure out who I am, away from all the things I was trying and failing to be back home.”

“But I’m telling you that I’ll drop everything and go there to be with you. To make us work. You can keep doing whatever it is you’re doing out there and I’ll find a job, but we’ll be together. I’ll give up my job and my apartment and I’ll move out there for you.”

Desperation was creeping into his voice as it rose in volume and intensity. She was certain it wouldn’t be long before it gave way to anger, especially since she knew she couldn’t agree to what he was offering.

“I know you would,” she said softly, not doubting that he would have likely joined her if she had gone to him and asked before she left. “But I can’t ask you to do that. It’s not fair to you – your life and your family are in Iowa and you don’t really want to leave. You’re doing it for me and I don’t want you giving up on your dreams while I try to figure out mine.”

There was a long pause and Dani was afraid the call had disconnected before he spoke. “You don’t want to be with me.”

Dani didn’t know how to respond. It still hurt her to admit it was true and she knew it would hurt him anymore. “I love you,” she insisted before taking a deep breath, “You’re so good to me and love me so deeply and purely, even after everything I put you through the last few months. And for years I’ve felt like I was broken or there was something wrong with me because I just didn’t, couldn’t, feel love the way you described how you felt about me. I really do love you and care for you so much…but I don’t think it’s the same way you love me. And you deserve to be loved like that. You deserve so much love that I could never give you and you really, truly deserve to be happy, Eddie.” 

“So, what are you saying? That all the time we shared together was a lie? That you never really loved me?” Edmund asked, his volume raising with each question.

Dani dug into her pocket to grab a tissue to blot away the tears that were starting to spill down her cheeks. “No, that’s not what I meant! Our time together was amazing and I would never trade it for anything. You were my first love, my first kiss…a lot of firsts, and that will always be so special. But I can’t marry you Eddie.”

“Who is he?” Edmund demanded, the anger in his voice now matching the hostile tone he’d been using with her earlier in the day.

“What?” Dani asked as she clutched the damp tissue in her hand. 

“You met some guy there when you studied abroad, right? That’s why you went back. I’m not stupid, Dani. I could tell you were different when you got back. And I…I thought you might have hooked up with someone when you were gone. But eventually you went back to normal and I figured we could just put it behind us and move on, especially if we were focused on our future. So, I proposed and you said yes and everything was going just like we planned…but then you fucking left and went back to England! And now you’re saying you don’t want me to go there to be with you, so there has to be someone else. Just admit it, Dani. You fucked some guy while you were there and you went back to be with him.”

Dani shook her head as a fresh round of angry tears rolled down her cheeks. “I never cheated on you,” she exclaimed defensively. “And I didn’t come back to England to be with anyone. God, are you even listening to me? I’m here for me – because I didn’t know who I was outside of being your fiancée or Karen’s daughter. So, don’t you dare try to accuse me of something I didn’t do.”

“I just don’t get how you can go from loving someone one day and planning a future together and the next day just leave. No goodbye or phone call or even an explanation apart from a stupid letter that was just three pages of ‘I’m sorry, you deserve better’ phrased a hundred different ways. It doesn’t make sense, Dani!”

“I don’t know what you want me to say!” Dani cried out in exasperation. She wanted so badly to give Edmund some sort of closure or peace of mind, but he seemed to be expecting answers she just couldn’t give him. “I still love you, but you deserve someone who will love you more than I ever could. I’m sorry I left the way I did, but I was worried you or my mother, or even your mother, would convince me to stay and I’d be stuck.”

“None of this makes sense, Dani!” Edmund growled. “If you truly loved me before and you still love me now, why are you so certain things won’t work out? Why can’t I come and be with you so we can give things another try?”

A stray thought, or unspoken truth, popped to the forefront of Dani’s mind but she quickly shoved it down deep, refusing to acknowledge it the way she always did when that particular thought made itself known. “Things just…won’t work okay?” She offered, knowing it was a weak reply, not even an explanation. 

“But why are you so certain? Do you…do you have a new boyfriend? Jesus, Dani, are you really throwing away a seven-year relationship and an even longer friendship for some guy you met a couple months ago?”

“No, of course not!” Dani replied in frustration; irritated that the conversation had circled back to her being with someone else. 

“What’s his name?” Eddie challenged, as if convinced this would get her to confess she was seeing someone else.

“I’m not seeing anyone!” Dani insisted, her anger rising nearly to the level of his. 

“Then why? Dammit Dani just give me a reason. Why are you giving up on us? If you still love me and care about me then why can’t we be together?” Eddie’s questions ran together in a frantic, desperate, hostile jumble that made Dani’s head spin.

“I like women!” 

The words were out before she could even register what she was about to say. The unspoken truth that had been nibbling away at her conscience for years; trying to make itself known despite her best attempts to keep it far away in the hopes it would make it not true. Her eyes were wide in surprise as the words that escaped her seemed to echo through the phone booth, taunting her with the real reason she’d been so sure she couldn’t be happy with Edmund. The reason that the most at home she’d ever felt in her life was in that small, dimly lit gay bar in London where people around her were laughing and flirting and being their genuine selves without fear. She had envied them and admired them, but at that time had stopped herself from fully acknowledging why she felt such a kinship towards them.

Her breathing was ragged, choked with lingering tears and surprise as her confession hung heavily on the line.

“You…what?” Edmund asked, his voice quiet – all traces of anger replaced with shock.

Dani closed her eyes, causing the tears that had pooled there to slip down her cheeks. She drew in a slow breath, knowing that there was no point in turning back now. Neither of them could forget what she’d blurted out and she couldn’t take it back. “I think that I like women…that I’ve always liked women.” Her voice was soft, barely audible over the phone. She glanced around her surroundings, as if afraid someone might be listening in to their conversation.

“So, what? You’re some kind of lesbian? That’s why you ran away to England?” Edmund asked in disbelief, the anger beginning to creep back into his voice.

Dani winced at the label. She’d only just acknowledged that she was attracted to women for the first time in her life. The way he’d thrown the word out like a slur made her stomach twist, but she forced herself to remain calm as she took another deep breath. “Eddie, please don’t get upset again. I don’t know what I am, okay? But you wanted a reason as to why I could be so sure we wouldn’t work, so…there it is.”

A bitter laugh echoed through the phone, “Are you fucking serious with this, Dani? As if it wasn’t bad enough that everyone in town talks about me behind my back because my fiancée ran away to a foreign country in the middle of the night, now they get to mock me because she’s a fucking dyke?”

The slur sent a stab of pain through Dani, making her feel nauseous and hurt. But it also sparked a desire to stand up for herself. She never tolerated bullying when it happened in her classroom, so why should she allow it in her personal life?

Dani sniffed and stood up straighter, doing her best to regain her composure. “I get that you’re hurt and upset and confused. But this isn’t you. You were never cruel or insensitive.” She paused and was relieved that he didn’t start immediately arguing or trying to defend himself. “I don’t think this conversation is headed in a productive direction and I will not allow you to call me names. I didn’t stand for it when Tommy Jenkins and his friends bullied you in the fourth grade and I certainly won’t allow you to insult me now. My mom has my address if you need to get in touch, but I think we’re done here. Oh, and don’t call me at work again. Next time, I won’t take the call.” She waited a moment to see if he would reply, but after ten seconds of silence she hung up the phone, unsure if he was even still on the other end of the line.

Dani stood in the phone booth for a moment to collect herself before she hurried back to her apartment to have some privacy to process everything that had happened. She went about her usual evening routine of making dinner, only tonight her thoughts replayed the conversation with Eddie while she cooked. She thought about things she wished she had said, or hadn’t said, and the responses she hoped to receive but hadn’t. 

While she ate her dinner, she thought about the truth she had revealed – both to herself and to him. Now that the words had been spoken, she didn’t push away the thought as it bounced around her head. For the first time, Dani let herself truly consider the thought that she was attracted to women. It certainly explained a lot of things: why she always felt there was some barrier to fully loving Eddie; why no other guy had so much as captured her interest over the years; why she felt a strange pull to befriend and get to know certain women. 

The truth was scary, but freeing at the same time. If Dani had truly come to England to figure out who she was, she had just uncovered a massive piece of the puzzle. There was still plenty more to discover about herself, but acknowledging that she felt more of a romantic pull to women than men was a significant step in her journey of self-discovery. 

It wasn’t until she was getting ready for bed later that night that Dani remembered it was Friday evening and she’d successfully made it through her first week at Goldthorpe Academy. 

A sense of satisfaction settled in her chest as she lay in bed, reflecting on the highs and lows of the week. She was slowly but surely finding her way in a new school, in a new town, in a new country, and that was something to be truly proud of.


	4. Chapter 4

“Miss Clayton, what does hovel mean?” A student asked as they stared at a page in their book before glancing up with a curious expression.

“A hovel is like a small, untidy house or living space that’s kinda falling apart,” Dani explained with a warm smile. She was always more than happy to define words for students because she loved encouraging them to expand their vocabulary.

Snickering from the other side of the classroom caught her attention and she focused on where the sound was coming from.

“Sounds like Mikey’s house,” one boy muttered to another, causing his friend to let out a muffled laugh.

“More like his whole town,” the other boy shot back as the two sneering boys focused their attention on another student.

Dani was proud of her acute sense of hearing as it made it easier for her to detect muffled comments, jabs, and jokes her students thought she couldn’t hear. Sometimes she let things slide, other times she intervened. 

Her gaze fell to Mikey, the subject of his peers’ bullying. From his glum expression, it was clear he had also overheard their comments. Her heart went out to the boy as it always did when someone was being bullied. Sure, she had noticed that Mikey’s clothes were not as crisp or as neat as some of his peers; his shoes were scuffed, his backpack was old and worn, and his hair a bit too long and scruffy, as if it was a few weeks past needing a haircut. She noticed these things because as a teacher, she always wanted to keep an eye on her students for any signs of concern or trouble at home. So yes, she had noticed Mikey’s state and arrived at the conclusion he was likely from a less affluent background than some of his classmates. But she absolutely would not stand for anyone bullying him, or anyone else, especially over something like that. 

“Hey,” she called out in an assertive tone that instantly got the class’s attention, including the two boys fixed in her stern glare. “We do not tolerate that kind of behavior in here. We treat our classmates with respect.”

The boys’ eyes were wide in surprise, clearly unaware they had been overheard by their teacher.

“We weren’t doing anything,” one of them protested, as if that would be enough for Dani to forget what she had just heard.

“You were saying rude things about a classmate behind his back, and that’s not what we do here. So, you two are going to stand up at the front of the room and apologize for your behavior – to the entire class.” She added that last part knowing it might embarrass Mikey to have them address him directly, and she didn’t want to add to his discomfort. 

“You can’t make us do that,” the other troublemaker protested with a look of shock.

“You’re right, I can’t make you do anything,” Dani agreed, “You have a choice. You can stand up and apologize to the class for being disrespectful or you can have after school detention. It’s up to you.”

Both boys look startled. One kept opening and closing his mouth like a fish, as if trying to protest, while the other simply stared at her like a deer caught in the headlights. Eventually they shared a look and stood up, shuffling to the front of the room with their heads hanging low.

“I’m sorry for being disrespectful,” one of the boys murmured, gaze fixed on the ground.

“Louder,” Dani called out, “And look at the class while you apologize. Both of you.”

Eventually, the boys both uttered an acceptable apology and Dani let them return to their seats, their faces red with embarrassment. She quickly cast a glance over to Mikey and saw he had a small smile on his face, which made her feel glad she had decided to intervene. 

The rest of the class went by without a problem; all the other students were on their best behavior after what they witnessed. The bell rang for dinner and the class eagerly headed out of the room. 

Dani had the urge to take a walk around the building, wondering if she might run into the mysterious young woman who had cheered her up on Friday. However, she pushed the urge aside and stood up, determinedly making her way to the dining hall to follow her usual, and safe, routine.

With each day that passed, Dani caught herself more and more often searching for something – or more specifically, someone. She’d find her gaze wandering outside of the school, in the dining hall, or wherever groups of students tended to gather, searching for a particular face in the crowd. She’d even started taking walks around the school during the two class periods she had free, hoping to catch sight of a familiar student tucked away around a corner with a cigarette in her hand.

By Friday, Dani was beginning to wonder if she’d completely imagined the young woman who had calmed her in her moment of crisis. While it was unsettling to think it had all been a panic-induced figment of her imagination, it was also slightly reassuring that maybe she hadn’t been thinking about an actual student far too often to be appropriate over the past week. 

Still, when the dinner break rolled around, Dani found herself ducking out of the teacher’s lounge early to take a stroll around the building to see if she could get a glimpse of the young woman, only to find no trace of her yet again. 

After the final bell sounded, Dani watched her last class of the day eagerly rush out of the room. She couldn’t blame them for being excited about the weekend, she was very much looking forward to a chance to catch up on lesson planning and maybe do a little exploring around town. As she sat at her desk to finish grading the day’s homework, she realized there was someone hovering in her doorway. Dani glanced up and smiled when she recognized the familiar face from her fourth period class.

“Hi Mikey. I’m surprised you didn’t rush out the front door at the bell like everyone else,” Dani commented with a friendly smile. 

The boy took the comment as an invitation to enter the room and shook his head as he walked down an aisle between desks. “No, not yet…I was wondering if it would be alright if I stayed in here for a little while.”

Dani cocked her head to the side as she looked at Mikey, noticing he seemed nervous and almost a little embarrassed as he stared at his shoes. “You can stay, but do you mind telling me why you want to stay in a stuffy classroom when it’s a gorgeous Friday afternoon?”

Mikey’s lips quirked into a smile at the teasing tone of her comment before it faded back into a frown. He offered a shrug as his gaze remained on the ground, “I just want to wait in here a little while if that’s okay.”

Dani studied the boy and used her deductive reasoning skills to try to figure out what was going on since it didn’t seem like she was going to get a proper answer from the boy. It was obvious that Mikey was avoiding going outside, preferring to stay in the company of a teacher, which likely meant he was afraid of someone who may be waiting for him in the schoolyard. 

“Are those guys bullying you again?” Dani asked in a sympathetic, but not pitying, tone of voice.

Mikey glanced up in surprise, “How did you know?”

“I’m a teacher, Mikey. I’m good at figuring stuff out,” she explained with a smirk that soon faded into a look of concern. “Did they threaten you? Because if they did, we can get the head teacher involved and make sure that those boys don’t hurt you.”

Mikey quickly shook his head, “No, don’t go to the head teacher. They haven’t hurt me, they just wait around and make mean comments when I leave school. But I don’t want to be a telltale and get them in trouble, I just wanted to wait inside for a little while until they’ve all gone home. My sister told me to wait in a teacher’s classroom until she can come find me and we can go home together.”

Dani was touched that out of all of his teachers, Mikey had chosen to come to her classroom to wait. She had a feeling it had to do with the way she had intervened in the bullying the other day and she was relieved that the boy hadn’t been upset with how she had handled the situation. She only wished she’d found a more effective way to stop the bullying altogether. Knowing that was a problem she wouldn’t be able to solve at that moment, she decided to focus on keeping the boy company and hopefully lifting his spirits a bit so he could start his weekend in a good mood.

“That sounds like a pretty cool sister,” Dani said with a smile. “Does she go to school here too?”

Mikey nodded, his face lighting up at the mention of his sister. “She’s the coolest. She’s in her last year of sixth form, so she’s in the next building over.”

“That’s so great that you have a sibling in the same school. I always wanted to have a sibling growing up. It would have made the walk home from school so much better.” 

“We have to take a bus home, it’s way too far to walk,” Mikey explained to his teacher. “It’s a stupid town out by the coal mines where nobody wants to live.”

Dani took in the boy’s sour expression and knew that his contempt was driven by the bullying he received because of the town he came from. “Did you know that I grew up in a small town too?”

Miley looked up; his bitter expression replaced by one of curiosity as he waited for her to continue.

“It wasn’t a coal mining town, but it was rural – surrounded by farmland and not much else. I had a lot of good memories in that town and a lot of not so great ones. But the cool thing about growing up is you can go off and explore new cities and towns, and sometimes you might realize there’s more to like about your hometown than you thought. Even if you decide to live someplace else, you can hold those special memories about the good parts of your town and keep that with you when you make a new home.”

Mikey considered that for a moment and nodded, “I want to go on lots of adventures. I want to go to every continent.”

“Well, that sounds amazing,” Dani enthused with a grin. “You better bring a parka with you when you go to Antarctica.”

Mikey laughed and Dani’s grin widened, glad that she seemed to have put the boy in a better mood than when he came in.

“Thought I might find you here,” a voice said from the doorway, drawing the attention of the room’s other occupants.

Dani glanced up and felt her heart jump in surprise at the unexpectedly familiar presence. Apparently, the student she’d met a week before hadn’t been imaginary after all. She wondered if the young woman was talking to her, but noticed her gaze was focused on Mikey. As she glanced over at Dani, her smile turned into a smirk.

“Jamie!” Mikey shouted as he looked over at the woman in the doorway. He looked back to Dani with a grin, causing his teacher to tear her gaze away from the other student and focus her attention back on him. “Miss Clayton, this is my sister, Jamie.”

Dani couldn’t believe that after a week of keeping an eye out for the other woman with no luck, she was suddenly in her classroom and she now had a name. Jamie. Jamie Taylor, assuming she had the same last name as her brother. 

“Hi Jamie,” Dani greeted, trying to ignore the way her heart pounded heavily in her chest as the young woman made her way further into the room. “Mikey and I were just talking about going on adventures and exploring the world. He wants to go to every continent.”

Jamie quirked an eyebrow as she looked at her brother. “Second week of school and you’re already making plans to run off with your teacher to travel the world? And here Denny thought he was the lady-killer in the family.” 

Dani was startled by the joke and was grateful no other students or staff were around to hear it. She wondered if her comment had truly come out that way, but one look at the cheeky grin on Jamie’s face assured her that the young woman was just messing with her. 

Mikey’s face flushed a deep pink as he pushed his sister, “Shut up, Jamie! You know that’s not what she meant.”

Jamie raised her hands defensively, “Hey now, I’m just repeating what I heard.” Mikey shook his head and rolled his eyes in exasperation with his sister’s antics, but Jamie’s gaze was focused on Dani. “Not that I’d blame you for trying.”

Dani found that she couldn’t look away from the intense gaze, even though she was silently willing herself to turn or look away or do anything other than react to the young woman’s words. She couldn’t believe Jamie was so brazenly flirting with her and she wondered if she was simply a troublemaker, trying to get some sort of rise out of her or make her uncomfortable.

Eventually, she forced herself to glance away and focused on Mikey, who seemed confused by his sister’s comment. “Well, Mikey, now that your sister’s here, it looks like you can finally go and enjoy your Friday. You don’t have to waste any more precious weekend time with a boring old teacher.”

“You’re not boring,” Mikey immediately protested.

“Or old,” Jamie added. Dani tried to ignore the comment but risked a glance over to see Jamie giving her a knowing smirk, as if she could tell Dani was trying to keep her at a distance.

“Thank you, you’re both very kind,” she replied, fixing her attention on Mikey before Jamie could get to her more than she already had. “Now go and enjoy your weekend. I’ll see you in class on Monday, Mikey.” 

The boy waved and gave her a friendly smile before heading toward the door. 

“And when will you see me?” Jamie asked as she cocked her head to the side, smirk still firmly in place.

Dani lifted her eyebrows and gave a stern look to silently inquire if the student really thought that was an appropriate thing to ask her. 

“Gonna keep me guessing, then? Good thing I like a woman of mystery,” Jamie said with a playful wink before turning to follow her brother. 

Dani watched the pair walk off, feeling dazed by how comfortable the young woman seemed to be making flirtatious remarks. Perhaps she was like that with everyone and simply enjoyed trying to get others flustered so she could have a laugh. It certainly seemed like a game a beautiful young woman might enjoy, knowing that others would be attracted to her and if she couldn’t avoid the attention she may as well have some fun with it. 

That explanation was certainly easier for Dani to accept than some of the alternatives floating through her mind. The most flattering yet dangerous of which being that Jamie actually fancied her and was comfortable enough with her sexuality to make her attraction known to the teacher. 

In a way, it almost didn’t seem fair to Dani that someone still in school should be so comfortable with same sex attraction when it was something she had struggled with and tried to repress and deny for years, and had only actually begun to accept about herself one week prior. However, she knew it wasn’t fair to fault Jamie, if she did in fact like women, for being comfortable with her sexual orientation. She should want it to be easier for people to come out and accept themselves, not continue the status quo of being closeted or feeling shame. 

The events of the end of the day looped through Dani’s mind and she continued to puzzle over Jamie’s intriguing, yet decidedly inappropriate, behavior. When she finally caught a glimpse of the time, she realized just how long she’d been staring off into space and ruminating on the afternoon. She hurriedly packed her things so she could get home, knowing that she was likely to be haunted by the same thoughts playing on repeat all weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all are enjoying it so far! 
> 
> Fun fact, I had a history teacher in high school who would make students stand at the front of the room and apologize if he heard them teasing/making fun of other students. And his hearing was ridiculous. He overheard me making snarky comments to my friends from across the room on more than on occasion (but I wasn't being mean so I didn't have to apologize lol). So that's where the inspiration for Dani's punishment came from. Shout out to that guy, he was a great teacher.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't planning to update twice over the weekend, but I just love writing this story so much and I'm too eager to share it with all of you. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Over the weekend, it was like some sort of switch had been flipped. Whereas the week before, Dani hadn’t been able to spot Jamie at school despite her best efforts until the very end of the week, now she seemed to constantly be crossing paths with the young woman. She often caught sight of her walking Mikey into school in the morning, she passed her in the halls at least once a day, and whenever there was a large crowd of students and staff gathered, Dani seemed to easily catch sight of Jamie – often finding that Jamie was watching her as well.

There hadn’t been any real interaction or conversation, but there had been looks. Jamie’s gaze always travelled over Dani in a way that made the teacher’s face feel hot and sent her body into a near panic as she wondered if anyone else was observing them. Then there was the smirk that seemed to be the only expression Jamie was capable of giving her – except Dani could still recall the gentle and caring smile that she’d had the very first time they’d met when Jamie had successfully calmed her before her near breakdown.

The lingering gazes and playful smirks from Jamie stayed in Dani’s mind long after they both carried on with their day. Although it was harmless enough, the way the attention made her feel was certainly cause for alarm. The rush of excitement and flattery was not something she should feel when a student looked at her, which is why it was always followed with worry and fear and disappointment in herself for even being excited in the first place.

She knew she should probably say something, but given that Jamie wasn’t really doing anything, it felt far more awkward to single the student out and give her a talking to over simply looking at her in passing. 

Two weeks went by and Dani was frustrated to find her immediate reaction to Jamie’s attention wasn’t fading or changing over time. She still felt a spark of excitement and feeling of contentment when Jamie’s gaze found her in a crowd…and then her mind went into overdrive to shut down those initial reactions and replace them with the irritation and guilt and disappointment. She reluctantly accepted that this was just how her emotions would play out seemingly every time she saw Jamie. As long as the student never did anything more than just look at her, she could accept the surge of conflicting emotions until they passed.

And then one Friday Mikey unexpectedly showed up in her classroom after school the same way he had three weeks before. 

“Hi Mikey,” Dani greeted with a smile. Although she didn’t like to admit to having favorite students, all teachers did, and he was certainly one of hers. And it had nothing to do with who his sister was...well, almost nothing. If she ever truly questioned why she kept an extra careful eye out for the boy in class, she knew there was a part of her that was hoping to appease Jamie’s big sisterly concern by doing so. But Dani would never admit that. 

“Hi Miss Clayton,” the boy greeted as he wandered into the classroom. “I hope it’s alright if I stay here for a little while. I haven’t wanted to bother you, so I usually wait for Jamie in the library, but Mrs. Grose said she had something to do this afternoon so she closed the library right after school ended.”

A small smile formed on Dani’s face; she knew from Rebecca’s playful interrogation during the dinner break that the plans Hannah had this afternoon involved Owen. Hannah had claimed he was just being nice by driving her to the next town over to help her pick up a new writing desk she had ordered, but both Rebecca and Dani had picked up on her bashful smile as she quieted their teasing. 

“You’re welcome here any time,” Dani informed her student as he gave her a grateful smile. 

“Thank you, Miss Clayton,” Mikey said as he settled into a desk at the front of the room, right in front of Dani.

“I guess some of the other students are still being pretty mean, huh?” Dani asked gently, not wanting to upset the boy, but also curious as to what was happening outside of the classroom.

Mikey stared down at the desk and gave a slow nod, “It wasn’t this bad in primary school,” he admitted softly. “There are more students here from other towns. Better towns. They don’t much like people from towns like mine. But Jamie warned me about that and she tries to look out for me, but…”

“She can’t be around you all the time,” Dani finished the boy’s trailing thought. “I know it must be hard getting used to a new school and new kids. I wish I could do something to stop all the bullying that goes on around here. I do what I can, but I know I can’t stop it all the time. But I do want you to know that this classroom is a safe place and you can come here anytime you like. I know you probably don’t want to tell on the kids who are bullying you, so I’ll never make you, but know you can come here to talk or just get away from others whenever you need to, okay?”

An appreciative smile stretched across Mikey’s face and he gave a little nod, “Thank you, Miss Clayton.”

“Does that offer stand for all Taylors, or just Mikey?”

Dani jumped in surprise and glanced up to see Jamie leaning against the far wall with her usual smirk. Her heart was racing in her chest; although she wanted to blame it solely on being surprised by the new arrival, she knew that wasn’t completely true.

“You’re not even her student,” Mikey shot back at his sister, his young age causing him to be completely oblivious to the flirtatious edge to Jamie’s question.

“I know, and trust me, I envy how much time you get with her,” Jamie said to her brother, though her gaze remained on Dani as she walked down the aisle of desks. “Though I think it’s a damn good thing I’m not one of her students.”

The knowing smirk on Jamie’s face made Dani’s body feel entirely too warm. Silently, she couldn’t help but agree with the assessment – it was a very good thing Jamie was not one of her students. But the fact she was a student in the school at all was bad enough.

“Language,” Dani corrected automatically, aware that there was a young and impressionable student and she should do her teacherly duty. “School rules still apply after school hours.”

“Sorry,” Jamie replied, although her tone was far from apologetic. “Does that mean I need to stay after to be punished?”

Dani felt as though she’d walked into a furnace as heat spread across her body. Her mouth ran dry as she tried and failed to stop her mind from wandering into the trap Jamie had set for her. She was flooded with thoughts she knew she shouldn’t be having involving her and Jamie, her desk, and much fewer clothing between them. She tried to shut the thoughts down as quickly as she could before they became too vivid, too tempting. The lack of smirk on Jamie’s face as she held Dani’s gaze was the only indication that she was nervous; clearly wondering if she’d gone too far, but too self-assured to break eye contact or take it back.

“Why would you ask that? Are you trying to get in trouble or something?” Mikey cut through the tense silence, his voice escaping him in a bit of a whine, as if annoyed by the thought of having to stay late on a Friday while his sister served detention.

Dani’s gaze cut over to Mikey and she felt a fresh round of embarrassment at what he had just overheard his sister saying. Even though he was too young to catch on to the implication, it didn’t make what Jamie said any less inappropriate. And Dani knew she needed to intervene. 

“Mikey, can you go wait out in the hall for a minute? I need to speak to your sister,” Dani said in a no-nonsense tone, but gave Mikey a small smile to assure him her tone wasn’t directed at him.

The boy nodded and grabbed his bag, giving his sister a confused and concerned glance before leaving the classroom.

Dani nearly asked him to close the door behind him, but didn’t want to give Jamie any more ammunition for a seductive comment. She settled for keeping her voice low, but stern as she held Jamie’s gaze.

“That was extremely inappropriate,” she scolded the young woman, who at least had the decency to look embarrassed as she kept her gaze on the floor. “I don’t know what it is you’re playing at, but I do not appreciate you coming in here and making comments like that. I don’t care if he is your brother, Mikey is my student and it is extremely embarrassing and upsetting and just…rude for you to speak to me like that. Not to mention you’re a student, Jamie. You may not be my student, but you still need to treat me with respect.”

“I didn’t mean any disrespect,” Jamie insisted, although her gaze was still avoiding Dani’s. “Honestly, I get that I crossed a line, but I didn’t mean any harm. Just got a bit carried away is all.” 

Dani felt some of her anger ease at Jamie’s words. It was clear that the young woman regretted her comment and felt bad for crossing the line. Although Dani was tempted to keep going and really express her irritation over the situation and Jamie’s behavior, she found her frustration dissipating the longer she looked at Jamie. She knew that if the situation was different, drastically different, in that Jamie wasn’t a student at the school, if she were Dani’s age, and Mikey hadn’t been there, if the door had been shut and the school completely empty…then Dani might not have been so bothered by her comment. Might have flirted back even. Perhaps she’d even have been open to more of an advance from Jamie, one that could have led to very inappropriate things taking place in her classroom. 

She shut her thoughts down once more. The effort it took to do so drained her of all energy to deal any further with Jamie. 

“Okay, well just, don’t let it happen again. That behavior is completely unacceptable at school,” was all she managed to get out. Not even a warning to discourage Jamie from her longing gazes and flirtatious smirks in the halls. Dani didn’t know if it was because she selfishly liked the attention, but she tried not to overthink it. It had been a long week and she was tired. She just wanted to go home and enjoy her weekend.

“At school?” Jamie questioned, her features contorting into an almost hopeful expression as she looked at Dani.

Dani let out a sigh, she hadn’t meant to imply the behavior was only inappropriate in a school setting. Yet she found she couldn’t bring herself to chastise Jamie and tell her it would be unwelcome in any setting, school or otherwise. Her lips just didn’t seem to form the words. The longer her mental struggle dragged on, the more hopeful Jamie seemed to become as her smirk reappeared on her face.

“Jamie…” Dani said, her tone containing a warning to shut down whatever thoughts she was having. Although she couldn’t get her mouth to cooperate and say the words she wanted, she also didn’t want to encourage this behavior. 

The young woman raised her hands to protest her innocence. “I get it,” she said as she began backing towards the door, smirk now firmly in place. “It won’t happen again…at school.”

“Out!” Dani pointed towards the exit, frustrated with herself for not being able to condemn Jamie’s behavior as strongly as she had wanted. She had tried to close the door on the student’s advances, but had unintentionally cracked a window – a window Jamie had very clearly seen through and would undoubtedly be visiting at some point.

“Have a good weekend,” Jamie called over her shoulder as she finally turned to leave the room, her tone filled with amusement as if she knew that Dani was going to have anything but an enjoyable weekend after that exchange.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment and let me know your thoughts so far. Comments make me very happy and inspire me to write more and post faster. 
> 
> The next part of the story got away from me and ended up being nearly 14,000 words with lots of Dani and Jamie...I'm thinking I'll split it into 2 chapters to make it a little more manageable, but can break it down even further. Let me know if you prefer longer or shorter chapters!


	6. Chapter 6

My boyfriend’s coming to visit for the weekend,” Rebecca announced with a grin as she and Dani claimed their usual table in the teacher’s lounge.

“Oh, that’s so exciting!” Dani replied with a smile, feeding off the other woman’s enthusiasm. “How often are you two able to see each other?”

“We usually try to see each other a few times a month. Most of the time I go visit him in London because I can get earlier trains due to my work schedule. And, of course, there’s more to do in London. But every so often he’ll get a Monday or a Friday off work and come to stay with me for the weekend.”

“That’s so great, I’m glad you get to see him this weekend.”

“I’d love for you to meet him,” Rebecca continued, her excitement infectious. “Maybe we could all go for a night out at the pub while he’s here.”

“I’d love to meet him too, but I’m sure you two would rather spend your time together. No need to drag him out just to meet me.” Dani waved her hand dismissively as she gave Rebecca an appreciative smile for the offer.

“Nonsense, Peter and I will be spending plenty of time together. We could use a night out with others. It’s been so long since we’ve gotten a chance to act like a normal couple in public.”

Dani could tell from Rebecca’s tone and expression that she had made up her mind and there was no use trying to change it. “Alright, well that sounds fun. I can’t wait to meet him.”

Rebecca beamed at her for not prolonging the back and forth and simply agreeing to meet up. She glanced away to greet Hannah as she joined them at their table.

“I just convinced Dani to go out to a pub this weekend, I hope I don’t have to do nearly as much pleading to get you to join us,” Rebecca said as she shot Dani a playful smirk.

“Depends which pub you have in mind,” Hannah joked back, “There are several horrid little places around here that I refuse to step foot in again – unless I’m already drunk enough to not know the difference.”

Rebecca and Dani both chuckled at the joke. Dani couldn’t picture what a drunk Hannah Grose would look like, but she realized she kind of wanted to find out.

“I haven’t decided yet. Peter’s coming to town so I’ll see where he feels like going. He’s almost as picky about where he’ll go as you are Hannah.”

Dani didn’t miss the way Hannah’s smile faded and she glanced down at her dinner before looking back up at Rebecca with an apologetic expression. “I’m so sorry, I just remembered that I promised an old friend from university that I would help her move house this weekend. I’m hoping it won’t take the full weekend, but I’m sure I’ll be exhausted when I’m finished and not much fun to be around.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” Rebecca said with a disappointed frown. “I’m sure Peter would have loved to see you again. I’ll still call to let you know where we decide to go in case you do feel up for a drink after helping your friend.”

Hannah nodded and gave her a polite smile, but Dani could tell there was something off about her demeanor. As she returned her attention to her lunch, she made a mental note to ask Hannah about it later.

* * *

“So how does an American end up all the way out in the north of England just to teach a bunch of annoying adolescents?”

Dani glanced up from her drink, surprised Peter had asked her a question after nearly an hour of talking about himself or just speaking to Rebecca. There had been some jabs about Americans and the occasional comment that seemed almost flirtatious despite his girlfriend being seated right next to him, but other than that, Peter had shown little interest in actually getting to know her.

“Oh, well, I studied abroad in London during my junior year of college and I loved it. So, after I graduated, I decided to be a bit adventurous and see if I could get a job out here. Fortunately, it worked out pretty well,” Dani explained with a smile, skipping over the gritty details of her big decision to move. She was doing her best to be friendly with Peter for Rebecca’s sake despite her growing dislike for the man. It now made sense why Hannah and Owen both conveniently had other plans tonight. She just wished she’d gotten around to asking Hannah about her sudden change of plans so she would have at least known what she was getting into.

Peter let out an amused scoff as he took a sip of his drink. “This town’s hardly London. Must have been quite a disappointment when you ended up here.”

“Not at all,” Dani shot back, her posture straightening as she felt a need to defend the town that had been a blessing in so many ways. “I’ll admit it’s very different from London, but I love this town, the school, the people,” she shot a glance over at Rebecca who gave her a warm smile. “I may have come here for the job offer, but I’m so glad that this is where I ended up.”

Peter watched her for a moment, appearing to be almost irritated by her response before he smirked and shook his head. “I don’t know how you and Becs do it, I wouldn’t be able to live in a town like this.”

“Oh, come on, there’s plenty of great things in this town,” Rebecca jumped in to take Dani’s side with a cheery smile. “We always have a great time when you visit. Remember last time when we stayed out until after one in the morning playing pool at that little pub near my flat?”

Peter smiled at his girlfriend, “That was a good night,” he agreed. “We won nearly twenty quid and several free rounds from that Welsh couple who could barely hold a pool cue, but kept challenging us to another game.”

Rebecca laughed and Dani felt herself ease her tense posture the slightest bit at the sweet exchange between the couple. Although she certainly didn’t enjoy being around Peter, she could tolerate him if he made Rebecca happy and treated her well – she was still trying to make up her mind about the latter part.

“How are you at pool?” Peter asked as he turned a mischievous gaze towards Dani.

“Are you gonna try to hustle me too?” Dani joked, getting a laugh from the couple, although Peter’s laugh was almost hollow, his gaze serious and not mirthful like Rebecca’s.

“It might be a nice change from sitting around this place any longer,” Peter said as he glanced around the pub they’d been in for the past hour.

“I thought you liked this place,” Rebecca said as she glanced at her boyfriend, “You always say this is the best pub in town.”

“The best pub in this town is still a damn sight worse than any halfway decent pub in London,” Peter replied with a chuckle. “But unfortunately, we’ll have to drop our standards even lower to find a place where we can play pool.”

“There are a few pubs near here that have pool tables, but they’ll all be packed at this time of night on a Friday,” Rebecca explained.

Dani wondered when she and Rebecca had even agreed to play pool. It seemed as if Peter had made the decision and they were just expected to follow.

“We could try heading someplace outside of town,” Rebecca continued in an attempt to appease Peter. “There’s that little town about 20 minutes west of here that we stopped in the last time you came to visit. As I recall, we were both surprised how many pubs were in such a small town, we’ll certainly have better luck somewhere out there.”

A grunt of disgust escaped Peter’s lips, “God, what an awful town that was. It was even more depressing than the town where I grew up. I can’t believe you want to go back.”

“I’m just trying to think of somewhere we can go to play pool – you’re the one who suggested it in the first place,” Rebecca shot back, her smile giving way to a stern glare in the first expression of frustration Dani had witnessed all night.

Silence fell over the table and Dani sipped her beer to distract herself from the awkward moment. Peter held his girlfriend’s gaze before finally giving her a charming smile and leaning in to kiss her cheek. “You’re right as always,” he said, although the words seemed to lack sincerity. “It’s a good idea, we’ll be able to find someplace in that town to play a game of pool.”

“Y’know, I’m actually thinking I might head out. It’s getting kinda late,” Dani said as she pushed her empty glass towards the end of the table so the waitress walking around could more easily grab it. Truthfully, it wasn’t late at all, probably only a little after 8 if she had to guess.

Rebecca’s face fell as she fixed Dani with a sad look, “Oh no, already? But we’ve only been out for an hour or so.”

“What’s wrong? Afraid your American pool skills will pale in the face of real competition?”

Dani turned her gaze from Rebecca to take in Peter’s smirking face. Although every part of her wanted to just ignore his obvious attempt to goad her into staying to play, she found that his annoyingly smug expression still ignited a strong feeling of irritation deep within her. She glanced over at Rebecca who seemed so sad at the thought of her leaving and she fought back a sigh as she resigned herself to staying out a bit longer.

“Alright, you’re on. Let’s go play some pool,” she announced with as much enthusiasm as she could muster for Rebecca’s benefit. Her friend cheered at the change of heart while Peter continued to fix her with a smug smirk, as if he already knew she would lose horribly and he was going to enjoy holding it over her for as long as they knew each other. Which, for Rebecca’s sake as well as her own, Dani hoped wouldn’t be much longer.

The trio left the bar and caught a taxi to the town Rebecca had suggested. Sure enough, when they arrived, they found the main street dotted with several pubs. They wandered around, ducking into various places in search of a pool table before they finally located a pub that wasn’t too busy and had a couple of pool tables in the back.

While Rebecca and Dani ordered a round of pints at the bar, Peter announced he would go check to see if any of the groups occupying the pool tables in the back were finishing up. As they waited for their beers, Dani glanced toward the back to see Peter talking with someone in what definitely appeared to be an intimidating manner. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand up as she watched Peter speaking with the man in a hushed tone and she wondered how someone as kind, smart, and ambitious as Rebecca would end up with someone as cold, humorless, and manipulative as Peter.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, by the time Rebecca and Dani wandered towards the back of the bar, Peter had secured them a pool table. Rebecca seemed impressed that Peter managed to get them a free table while Dani kept quiet, knowing that it wasn’t done through the most civil of means.

“Shall we say the loser buys the next round?” Peter asked as he racked up the balls at the end of the table.

“Sure…” Dani agreed as she accepted the pool cue Rebecca handed her. “Is it me vs. the two of you? Because I feel at a slight disadvantage having only planned the occasional game at the student union in college.”

Rebecca laughed at the comment while Peter’s familiar and irritating smirk formed on his face. “You and Rebecca can be a team. I’m sure I can manage on my own.”

“No, I’ll be fine,” Dani replied, not appreciating his condescending tone. “You two should play together, I was only joking.”

“I’m hardly of use when it comes to this game,” Rebecca announced as she went to stand next to Peter. “I think I’m more likely to be a liability than an asset. You’ll probably have better luck if I’m bringing him down,” she added with a playful wink at Dani.

Dani laughed and was just as content to play by herself. She only hoped the game would wrap up quickly and she’d be able to leave without disappointing Rebecca.

The game started off well enough. It was apparent that Peter was very good, but Rebecca’s description of her own skills turned out to be very accurate and she did little to help her team on her turn. Dani was doing a decent job holding her own, but she knew the odds of her winning weren’t good – not that she cared.

As she waited for her next turn, she sipped her beer and observed the other patrons of the pub. The front door opened and Dani watched a group of young people wander in to the pub, laughing and greeting people as they passed. As the two men in the group sat down at a table, Dani caught a glimpse of the two females behind them. Dani started and straightened up from where she’d been leaning against the wall as she recognized that one of the newcomers was Jamie.

Seeing a student casually hanging out at the pub as if she’d been going for years was startling. The fact it was Jamie, the young woman who had been on her mind for weeks whether she liked it or not, made it all the more unsettling.

“You alright?” Rebecca asked as she approached Dani.

“What?” Dani asked as she tore her gaze away to look at her friend, “Yeah, I’m fine.”

“It’s your turn,” Rebecca reminded her as she gestured towards the table.

“Oh, yeah, right,” Dani nodded as she set her glass on a nearby table and headed over to take her turn. Due to her distracted state, she wasn’t all that surprised when she completely missed her shot.

“You might want to get your money ready for those pints,” Peter taunted as he stepped up to the table.

The urge to roll her eyes was nearly overwhelming, but instead she just walked back to her spot along the wall. Her gaze drifted back to the source of her distraction and she watched as Jamie laughed along with the others at the table.

Dani realized she hadn’t seen the other woman look so joyful before. She’d never noticed what a nice smile she had, since she tended to smirk in Dani’s presence, or how her whole face lit up when she laughed.

“Is everything okay? We don’t have to keep playing if you’d rather just grab a seat at a table,” Rebecca offered as she joined Dani along the wall.

“Oh no, it’s fine,” Dani insisted with a shake of her head. “It’s just…I think a group of students from Goldthorpe just walked in. I recognize at least one of them anyway, I’m just assuming the others are students as well.”

“Hopefully not students of yours,” Rebecca joked as she cast her gaze around the room, but didn’t seem to recognize any of the faces. “Do you think they’re underage?”

Dani knew the drinking age in England was 18, so it was possible students in their last year of sixth form who had already turned 18 had every much a right to be there as she had. It seemed unlikely a whole group of them would have already had their birthday a little over a month into the school year, but she also couldn’t say for sure that they were all students when she only recognized one of them.

“I’m not sure,” Dani admitted, “The one I recognized is in her last year of sixth form; she’s the sister of one of my students,” she explained, worried that Rebecca might find it odd she recognized an older student even though her friend didn’t look curious or confused in the least.

“We should give them the benefit of the doubt then,” Rebecca suggested with a shrug, “No point ruining their night and ours. Especially if they may be of age, or at least very close to it.”

Dani nodded; the thought of confronting them about underage drinking hadn’t even crossed her mind. She was more concerned that the student who had an annoying habit of flirting with her had just walked into the same pub.

She did her best to focus on the game, but found her gaze frequently drifting over to where Jamie was sitting. Seeing the young woman in this setting – dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, drinking a pint with friends, had Dani’s mind racing. If she’d never met Jamie before, had never seen her around school, it would be so easy to take notice of this young woman in the pub as someone who looked quite close to her age. She could have easily mistaken her for a university student out with friends, or a young woman out with coworkers. There would have been nothing stopping Dani from striking up a conversation with her at the bar in an attempt to make a new friend. And if the young woman had flirted with her in this setting…

Dani forced her thoughts away from the dangerous direction they were heading. It was no use imaging hypothetical situations. The reality was that Jamie was a student at Goldthorpe Academy and Dani was a teacher, though fortunately not her teacher.

“And it looks like we have a winner,” Peter’s voice announced proudly as he leaned against the table, facing Dani. “I’ll take that pint now.”

“Sorry Dani, I guess even my absolute lack of skills wasn’t enough to hold him back,” Rebecca said with a laugh as she approached her friend. “I think I’ll pass on a drink, but would you like me to join you at the bar to help you carry the pints back?”

“That’s okay, I can manage,” Dani replied, grateful to have a little time to herself without the others wondering why she was being quiet. She hoped another beer would help calm her insistent thoughts about Jamie as well as soften her annoyance towards Peter for however much longer she had to put up with him. Although she knew she could excuse herself and head home now that she’d suffered through one game, she was suddenly in less of a rush to leave.

She ordered the pints for her and Peter and rested her forearms on the bar as she waited.

“Of all the pubs, in all the towns, in all the world…”

Dani couldn’t help but smile as she picked up on the slightly altered reference to Casablanca. She’d always had a fond appreciation for old movies; however, it was the voice that delivered the line that made her heart pick up its pace.

She glanced over to see Jamie leaning next to her, an amused smile on her face. Dani tried to keep her composure as best she could as she held the other woman’s gaze.

“You know, most students avoid teachers when they see them out in public. It’s not often they come up and say hi…especially not in a pub.” Dani had to admit that Jamie was confident, but she wasn’t going to say as much to the young woman and give her further encouragement.

“Well, we’re not in school…” Jamie replied and Dani knew she was referring to their last conversation which had taken place nearly a week before. Dani had made it clear Jamie’s behavior was inappropriate at school and Jamie had obviously kept that ‘school’ part in mind. “No other teachers or students around,” Jamie continued as she made a show of looking around the pub, “I don’t see any reason why we need such labels here. I can just be a person coming over to say hello to another person.”

The comment about no other students being around caught Dani’s attention as she flicked her gaze over to where Jamie had left her table of friends. Either they weren’t students, or Jamie hadn’t been entirely truthful in her attempt to flirt with Dani in the new setting they had found themselves in.

“You’re wrong,” Dani shot back, trying not to find the confused furrow of Jamie’s brow so adorable as the brunette waited for an explanation. “There is another teacher here,” she explained as she gestured over to where Rebecca and Peter were standing by the pool table having an intimate conversation. She was relieved that her friend wasn’t paying her the slightest bit of attention and felt her shoulders relax the tiniest bit. “Rebecca Jessel, she teaches history to the year 8 students.”

Jamie gave a small hum of acknowledgment, though she didn’t seem bothered by the fact there was another teacher there. “That her boyfriend?”

Dani watched as Peter leaned in to whisper to Rebecca, his arms wrapped around her in a way that read as more possessive than loving. “Yeah.”

“Can’t say I much like the look of him,” Jamie said and Dani agreed with a silent nod. “Though I have to admit, I’m a bit relieved.”

The last comment distracted Dani enough to turn her attention from Peter and Rebecca back to Jamie.

“For a little while there I was worried he might be your boyfriend.”

Dani raised her eyebrows in surprise. The thought of Peter being her boyfriend was nauseating, but what really caught her attention was that Jamie had been worried over her mistaken assumption. Whether it was simply because Jamie got the same unsettling feeling about Peter that Dani did, or because it would mean Dani was taken or straight, or both, wasn’t clear. However, she knew better than to try to get Jamie to elaborate, because that could quickly go down a dangerous path. Instead, she decided to ask something a little safer.

“So, you saw me before I came over to the bar?” If Jamie had thought she and Peter were together, it meant she had to have seen Dani while she was playing pool. There was nothing wrong with that, but with how often Dani’s gaze had been drawn to Jamie, she was surprised she’d never caught the other woman looking back if she’d known she was there.

“You’re kinda hard to miss, Poppins,” Jamie said with her usual playful smirk.

“Poppins?” Dani questioned, the nickname doing things to her that it shouldn’t, so she tried to give Jamie her best stern, questioning look.

“You’re good with kids, a bit odd, but practically perfect in every way. And I figured it’s a reference that even a Yank like you would get,” Jamie explained.

Dani rolled her eyes good-naturedly at the ‘practically perfect’ comment, if only to draw attention away from the blush that spread across her cheeks. “That doesn’t explain _why_ you decided to give me a nickname,” she pointed out, finding that to be of more concern than the nickname itself.

Jamie shrugged, “Don’t know your first name and even if I did, you’d probably get all weird if I tried to call you by it. And if I’m being honest, I can’t call you ‘Miss Clayton’ without my thoughts getting very, very dirty. So, I figured Poppins was the way to go.”

Dani felt her whole body heat up at the mention of Jamie having dirty thoughts about her and she desperately hoped she didn’t look as affected as she felt. Although she still didn’t think it was appropriate for Jamie to give her a nickname, it felt just as inappropriate to have her call her Dani…and she certainly wasn’t going to insist she be called Miss Clayton after what Jamie had just disclosed.

Rather than give her explicit permission to call her by the nickname, she decided to reroute the conversation back to where it had been before they went off on a tangent about names. “I guess I do stick out around here,” Dani admitted as she glanced down at her outfit. While her clothes wouldn’t get a second look in the Midwestern United States, she’d noticed the trends that were all the rage back home hadn’t quite made it to England. “Can everyone automatically tell that I’m American?”

“You look like you work for the American board of tourism,” Jamie replied, which earned an amused smile from Dani. “But that’s not what I was referring to. We don’t often get women as beautiful as you round these parts, so yeah, you caught my attention not long after I came in…and probably the attention of everyone else in here.”

The flirtatious comment caused a fluttering to erupt in Dani’s stomach and she knew she was blushing. She tried to hide her reaction by looking for the bartender, who had seemingly completely forgotten about her and was talking with a couple of drunk women at the other end of the bar.

“Good luck trying to get any service once Kenny’s started chatting up the locals,” Jamie advised as she saw where Dani’s attention was focused. “Oi, Kenny!” She called out, drawing the attention of the bartender who glanced over with an annoyed scowl. “Did you forget you had other customers?” Jamie asked as she nodded towards Dani.

“I didn’t forget – two pints of lager, I’m working on it,” he muttered as he waved a hand dismissively at Jamie.

“Make it three,” she called back, adding her own order to his to-do list before turning back to face Dani. “Some days I have half a mind to go behind the bar and serve myself.”

Dani felt herself reacting in ways she shouldn’t to Jamie speaking up on her behalf in an effort to help her out. She tried to quickly rid herself of those thoughts by bringing up a topic that had been on her mind, but she hadn’t yet figured out how to broach. “Are you even old enough to have one of those?” She asked as she nodded over to where Kenny was finally starting to pull their pints.

“I am,” Jamie said, a hint of her smirk on her face as she held Dani’s gaze. “Is that your way of trying to figure out how old I am?”

Dani didn’t like the implication behind Jamie’s words, “No,” she immediately replied, “I just need to know if I’m going to get in trouble for letting an underage student drink without saying anything.”

“And who exactly would you get in trouble with?” Jamie questioned. “We already established there’s no one from school here, besides your friend. And honestly, she seems a little too preoccupied with her terrifying boyfriend to notice.”

Dani resisted the urge to glance behind her to see what Jamie was referring to. The less she had to look at Peter, the better.

“But to ease your concerns, Poppins, I’ll have you know I’m old enough to be here. Just turned 19 this week actually, which is why I’m out tonight with friends.”

Dani’s mind started to buzz as several thoughts tried to compete for her attention. “19?” She repeated, the age not adding up with what she expected. “Shouldn’t you have already graduated?”

“That feels like a rude question to ask before I’ve gotten my drink,” Jamie teased, her attention flicking over to Kenny as he set down the pints. “Thanks mate, add ‘em to my group’s tab,” she instructed the bartender who gave a gruff nod before walking back to the other end of the bar to resume his conversation.

“You didn’t have to…” Dani insisted with a shake of her head, “In fact, you really shouldn’t have done that.”

Jamie shrugged, “My friends are covering the tab tonight in honor of my birthday. They won’t even notice a couple extra pints,” she explained.

“Well, um, thank you.” Dani offered a hesitant smile, still feeling uneasy about Jamie covering her drinks.

“To answer your question,” Jamie continued after taking a sip of her lager, “I was held back a year before I started secondary school. My grades were fine – not great, but they were passing…I was held back due to ‘behavioral problems’. The bastards at my primary school said I wasn’t ready for secondary school because I got into a few fights. Guess they thought it was perfectly fine for the other students to call me names and say the nastiest shite day in and day out, but when I stand up for myself a couple of times, I’m the kid who’s a problem.” Jamie let out a bitter chuckle as she took a longer sip of her drink.

Dani’s brow furrowed as she listened to the explanation. It took everything in her not to reach out and offer some gesture of comfort, a hand on her shoulder or a gentle squeeze of her arm. But she knew that might send the wrong message so she kept her hands to herself. “I’m so sorry, Jamie. It’s not right that you were singled out and held back like that.”

Jamie gave a dismissive shrug before glancing over at Dani, “It’s in the past now. Only one year of school left and then I’m done with it forever. Can’t fucking wait for that.”

“Except for university,” Dani reminded her. “Which is different from secondary school, but it’s still classes and homework and other students to deal with.”

“What makes you think I’m going to university?” Jamie asked with an amused smile.

Dani’s expression reflected her confusion, “Well, uh, you’re in sixth form. I know I’m still learning the difference between schools in the UK and the US, but don’t students normally only stay for sixth form so they can get their A-levels for university?”

The question hung in the air for a long moment as Jamie just held Dani’s confused gaze before slowly shaking her head and turning her attention to her pint, “It should be a crime to look that cute asking a question,” she muttered, almost as if to herself before she took a sip from her glass. “You have a point,” she finally answered, “Honestly, the only reason I’m in sixth form and not out working already is because I wanted to be around to keep an eye on Mikey. I know you’ve already witnessed first-hand that other students aren’t exactly nice to him and I didn’t want him going through the transition to secondary school alone. God knows my older brother Denny didn’t do a damn thing to help me when I was finally allowed to start year 7. The teasing and name-calling only got worse and that fucker just joined in so he could save himself.”

“Oh Jamie, I’m so sorry,” Dani gushed, unable to help the surge of sympathy and compassion she felt for the young woman before her. It was obvious she had been through a lot and Dani wished there had been others to look out for her the way she was looking out for Mikey. “I think it’s great you want to protect Mikey, and I’m sorry for what you’ve both had to go through. But I hope you know that I’m gonna be looking out for him too. I can’t stand bullying and I certainly won’t allow it in my classroom or anywhere else I see it.”

“I know you won’t,” Jamie said with a nod of her head and a warm smile, “You’re one of the good ones, Poppins.”

Dani returned the smile and was pleased that Jamie knew she had a kind heart and wouldn’t put up with anyone being mean to Mikey, or any other student. Dani prided herself on being a good and caring teacher, so she was glad when others picked up on it. The prolonged eye contact between the two women started making Dani’s heart race and she knew she needed a distraction. She settled for grabbing one of the two untouched pints in front of her and taking a long sip.

“So now you know how old I am, but I still don’t know how old you are,” Jamie prompted as she shifted closer to Dani.

“Why do you need to know how old I am?” Dani challenged with a quirk of her eyebrow.

Instead of a reply, Jamie just smirked at Dani, as if to say she knew exactly why Jamie wanted to know. And truthfully, Dani did know. But it was easier, and safer, to play dumb.

The staring contest dragged on, neither willing to back down until Jamie finally gave in with a chuckle. “Alright, how about a game then? If you won’t make it easy and tell me, I’ll just call out ages and then maybe, just maybe, you’ll be nice and play along and take a sip of your lager when I’ve got it right.”

Dani didn’t respond, but lifted her glass and brought it to her lips. She looked at Jamie over the top of her pint, a small smile tugging at her lips as she waited for the game to start.

Jamie grinned as she realized Dani was playing along. “Alright then, let’s start with 23.”

Dani held Jamie’s hopeful gaze and remained still as she waited for the next guess.

“Okay then, 24? 25?” Jamie let out a little huff, “So 26 then, yeah? Or 27?”

Dani fought to hide her smirk as Jamie looked increasingly frustrated as she kept going up in age.

“Of course, you could not really be playing along and I might have already guessed it,” Jamie commented as she tried to read Dani’s expression. “But I’ll keep going, assuming that you’re actually being nice and playing my little game. 28? 29, is it? If you tell me you’re 30, I’m going to need some sort of proof.”

Dani laughed and shook her head, the glass rolling along her lower lip. The urge to take a sip was strong since her glass was so close, but she didn’t want to accidentally answer to one of the ages Jamie was guessing.

“Okay, well you’re not in your thirties and I won’t believe you if you say you are. So clearly, you’re just taking the piss out of me at this point.” Jamie’s tone lacked any anger or irritation, but she looked disappointed as she took a sip of her own pint.

“I’m not!” Dani protested, “I am playing along, you just haven’t guessed it yet.”

Jamie quirked an eyebrow in disbelief but a thought seemed to take hold and she looked at Dani with a cautiously hopeful expression. “22?”

Dani smirked before taking a sip of her beer, noticing that Jamie’s face immediately lit up in a delighted grin.

“Wow…looks like we got you right out of university then?”

Dani nodded as she set her glass back on the bar. “I graduated in the spring and moved out here to find a job.”

“Well, I’m glad you did,” Jamie replied as her gaze swept appreciatively over Dani. “22, huh? Really only a couple of years between us then. Barely any time at all.”

The implication in the comment was clear and Dani knew she’d been tiptoeing into dangerous territory by even agreeing to play this game with Jamie. To be honest, she’d been tiptoeing into dangerous territory by even standing here talking to Jamie; playing her age game had been like running right towards the danger zone. She knew she needed to try to create some distance between them, remind them of the boundaries that needed to be there.

“Enough that I’m a teacher and you’re a student, Jamie,” Dani reminded her, a hint of warning in her voice.

Jamie’s smile wavered, but only for a moment, “I bet you’re closer in age to me than you are to most of the other teachers at that school. Maybe even including that friend of yours over there.”

Dani couldn’t argue because Jamie was right. Rebecca was 26, which made her 4 years older than Dani…and Rebecca was the closest to her in age considering the mean age of the teaching staff at Goldthorpe was in the late 40’s or early 50’s.

The mention of Rebecca was enough to remind Dani she had people who had been waiting for her to return for several minutes. She only hoped they hadn’t been paying too close of attention to who she’d been talking to. “That reminds me…” Dani said as she picked up her half empty glass and Peter’s full one. “Happy belated birthday, Jamie. Thanks for the drinks,” she said as she offered a parting smile that she knew was more flirtatious than she intended.

“Anytime, Poppins,” drifted after her and Dani forced herself not to look back or else she might lose her resolve to keep walking away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there is part one of the very long, 14,000 word chapter. Please comment and let me know what you think so far! It gives me motivation to edit and post the second part of the chapter (and to continue working on the story).
> 
> To everyone who commented on the last chapter - THANK YOU! Your comments made me so, so happy. I'm so glad that so many of you are enjoying the story so far.


	7. Chapter 7

It took all of Dani’s effort to willingly approach Peter again.

“Sorry for the wait, bartender was hard to get ahold of,” Dani explained as she handed Peter his pint.

“I thought Americans were good at being loud and demanding attention,” Peter teased as he took a sip.

Dani tried not to roll her eyes at the comment and settled for taking a sip of her beer. Her gaze drifted over to Rebecca who looked upset about something as she focused her gaze on the floor.

“Hey, is everything okay?” Dani asked, panic starting to set in at the thought that Rebecca was reacting to seeing her talk with a student at the bar for such a long time.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Rebecca said dismissively as she forced a smile.

“Are we playing another round? Or are you still recovering from that first game?” Peter asked with an arrogant smirk as he began racking the balls.

“We can play another,” Dani answered, not really wanting to play anymore, but taking the chance while Peter was distracted to talk to Rebecca. “What’s wrong?”

Rebecca gave her a timid smile, “It’s nothing. Some guy across the pub was staring at me, checking me out, I guess. I hardly noticed, but Peter saw him…he wasn’t too happy about it.”

“He got mad because some guy checked you out?” Dani asked incredulously, keeping her voice low so they wouldn’t be overheard.

“Not exactly,” Rebecca rushed to defend her boyfriend, “It’s just, he’d told me before that he doesn’t like me to wear this top on nights out. He thinks it’s too revealing and attracts too much attention. But I forgot when I put it on tonight, and then that happened with the guy checking me out…so it was a bunch of little things really, but it’s no big deal. It’ll blow over and be fine.” Rebecca smiled brightly to ease Dani’s concern, but it looked forced and insincere.

Dani, however, knew that now wasn’t the time to continue the conversation. Not with Peter so close by. However, she filed it away to bring up with Rebecca at a later time.

“You’re up,” Peter announced as he approached the two women and glanced at Dani.

The second game started off much like the first. Dani was doing alright and holding her own; she was no match for Peter, but Rebecca was certainly not doing their team any favors.

As the game continued, Dani found her attention drifting towards Jamie, much like it had during the first round. However, this time she noticed that Jamie was often looking at her whenever she glanced over.

Knowing she was being watched did something to Dani’s confidence and she found her skills improving as well. In the back of her mind, she knew she shouldn’t be feeding off the energy and excitement off knowing Jamie was watching her as she leaned down to take each shot, but she pushed those thoughts aside. At this point, she was willing to take whatever advantage she could get if it meant beating Peter and wiping that smug look off his face.

Much to her surprise, Dani actually won the game. Not necessarily due to her pool skills as she still had a few balls left on the table when Peter ended up scratching on the 8 ball, but it was a victory nonetheless and she couldn’t help but grin as Rebecca applauded her win.

“It’s getting late,” Peter announced as he straightened up with an irritated scowl. “We should head back to your place.”

“Oh, it’s not that late,” Rebecca protested as she looked over at Dani sadly, as if she wasn’t ready to say goodbye.

“Well, some of us had to be up early to catch the train to this godforsaken part of the country,” Peter reminded her in a manner that appeared to be joking, but with an expression that betrayed his annoyance.

Dani watched as Rebecca sighed before facing Peter with a nod, “You’re right, you’ve had a long day. We should be getting back.”

As Dani watched the couple gather their things, she knew she would much rather stay behind for a while longer rather than spend twenty long and uncomfortable minutes with an irritated Peter on the cab ride back. “Y’know, I think I’m gonna stay here for a bit.”

“Are you sure?” Rebecca asked with a look of concern. “Will you be able to get back alright?”

“Absolutely,” Dani promised, “I’ve made it around this country all on my own so far,” she reassured her friend with a smile.

“Right, we’ll be off then,” Peter said, sparing a brief glance over at Dani as he was already on his way to the door, “Nice meeting you.”

“You too,” Dani called back, her tone as flat and insincere as his had been. She frowned as she watched the pair depart the pub. She knew she needed to talk to Rebecca about her concerns at some point, but maybe she would talk with Hannah and Owen first.

Dani took a sip of her pint and set it on a nearby table before taking a seat in one of the chairs. She didn’t know how long she was actually going to stick around, but wanted to give Rebecca and Peter enough time to call a taxi or catch a bus and clear out of town before she attempted to head back.

Her gaze wandered over to where Jamie had been sitting with her friends only to notice the table was now empty. A small frown formed on her lips and a feeling that seemed very close to disappointment settled over her as she swept her gaze around the small pub, but didn’t catch sight of the group of friends.

Dani leaned back against her chair with a sigh. It was probably a good thing that Jamie had left. Their conversation earlier had been close to becoming a little too friendly, a little too intimate. Without Rebecca around as a reminder of Goldthorpe and their respective roles in that sphere, Dani was worried how much she may let her guard down. It was a wasted concern at this point since she was alone, and Dani settled even further back into her chair as she finished off her drink.

“Looks like I arrived at just the right time,” a voice cut through her thoughts as two fresh pints of lager were placed on the small table top.

Dani’s gaze quickly cut up to see Jamie standing in front of the table with her usual smirk. She straightened up in surprise as she glanced over to the empty table Jamie and her friends had previously occupied and then back to the woman stood next to her, as if trying to piece together how Jamie had gotten from point A to point B.

“I thought you left,” she explained, not sure what else to say in her confused state. She was aware that the lingering feeling of disappointment was gone, replaced by a rush of excitement she’d really rather not read too much into.

“Nah,” Jamie said with a shake of her head as she took the open seat across from Dani without asking if it was alright to do so. “A couple of my mates had to head out for the night. They work early tomorrow. Life of the working class – not often we get Saturdays off. One of the very few benefits I have from still being in school is having my weekends free, which means you still get the pleasure of my company.” Jamie winked as she nudged one of the pints closer to Dani.

Dani drew her lips between her teeth in an attempt to keep herself from smiling or laughing at Jamie’s blatant flirtation; however, she knew her reaction still gave away the fact she was affected by the comment as well as the wink. She decided to focus on the drink that was in front of her so she didn’t have to look at Jamie’s cocky smirk for the time being. “I can’t accept this. I shouldn’t have even let you get me the first one, but this is definitely too much.”

“Technically, I didn’t get anything,” Jamie reminder her. “I managed to get these two on the tab before my friends closed out for the night. And they’re not students, so I’m sure there’s nothing in your little rule book about having some random blokes buy you a drink at a pub?”

“Well, no…but I’m pretty sure drinking with students is mentioned in that rule book under ‘things not to do if you want to keep your job longer than a month’,” Dani pointed out.

“The way I see it, we already broke that rule earlier, so there’s no harm in having another. Especially since there’s no one else from school here now that your friend left, so who’s gonna tell on us?” Jamie quirked her eyebrow as she picked up her own glass and took a sip.

Dani knew it was wrong, so wrong, to be sitting at a table in a pub having a beer with a student at the school she taught. She shouldn’t be encouraging this behavior in any way, and yet…

“I’m only staying for a little bit, just until I know Peter and Rebecca have caught a ride home before I head out for the night,” Dani explained as she picked up the glass Jamie had set in front of her and took a sip.

A grin spread across Jamie’s face as she realized Dani had accepted the drink and wasn’t trying to argue over the appropriateness of them sitting together any more. “You really can’t stand that guy, can you?”

Dani shook her head as her face contorted into a look of disgust, “There’s something off about him,” she admitted, before deciding to just skim over the topic, not wanting to get too far into Rebecca’s personal life with a student. “So yeah, I decided to just hang back for a little bit and then I’ll go out and call my own cab.”

Jamie’s smile slipped into a concerned frown, “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be getting a cab home alone at this time of night.”

“Jamie,” Dani said with a stern tone, “Just because I agreed to have another drink with you doesn’t make it okay for you to make a pass at me.”

A delighted chuckle escaped the brunette who shook her head. “Trust me, Poppins, if I was trying to make a pass at you, I’d have used a much better line.” Her smile slipped back into a look of concern, “It’s just that getting a cab around these parts late at night can be dangerous. I’ve heard one too many stories of muggings and assaults by cab drivers, especially against women riding alone at night. I really wouldn’t feel good about someone who looks like yourself catching a cab at this hour.”

Dani was surprised by the explanation, but she certainly had no reason to doubt Jamie. She suddenly regretted not going back to Goldthorpe with Peter and Rebecca, but she’d had no idea it would be so dangerous to get a cab by herself. “Okay, well I can just take the bus back,” she decided, knowing it would only be a five-minute walk from the bus station to her flat.

“You could…” Jamie agreed with a slow nod as she considered the idea, “Although the nearest bus station is a bit dicey at night…honestly it’s a toss-up whether you’d be safer in a cab or risking that bus station.”

“Jesus,” Dani muttered with wide eyes, “How do people in this town get around?”

“Very cautiously and usually with at least one weapon for self-defense,” Jamie said with a humorless chuckle. “As much as I despise the entitled assholes who talk down to me and Mikey at school, they do have a lot of reasons to mock this horrid town.”

“How do you suggest I get home then?” Dani asked, part of her still wondering whether this was all a ruse to try to convince her to stay longer by making her afraid to leave.

“I do have one idea…although knowing you it might take some convincing.”

Dani’s gaze swept over Jamie’s expression for a hint as to what she had in mind. Her smirk was back and that caused Dani’s mind to race with all sorts of inappropriate things Jamie may be about to suggest. “Let me guess, you want me to go back to your place where I’ll be nice and safe?”

Jamie’s smirk turned into a wide smile as she let out a laugh. “Trying to get an invite back to mine? Poppins, you flirt,” she teased before shaking her head. “Trust me, I’m not dumb enough to think you’d even consider that. I was just going to offer giving you a ride home.”

Dani’s face felt hot as she realized she’d misread where Jamie had been heading with her offer; and in doing so, she’d given the young woman a very clear look into where her thoughts had taken her. The actual offer took her by surprise in her still flustered and embarrassed state. “Really?”

Jamie nodded, “I can borrow my dad’s truck. He’ll be out for the rest of the night at his usual pub with his mates, so he won’t be needing it.”

When Dani stopped to consider the offer, she knew it was probably something she shouldn’t accept. “I can’t ask you to do that, Jamie.”

“You didn’t ask, I offered,” Jamie reminded her with a warm smile.

“I know and I really appreciate that, but I can’t accept.”

“Afraid to let me know where you live?” Jamie teased, although her expression indicated her confusion over Dani’s refusal. “I promise I’d never stalk you or anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Dani felt her heart clench at the almost hurt look in Jamie’s eyes, “No, it’s not that,” she promised before trying to come up with an explanation. She knew she couldn’t admit what she was actually worried about – being in a public place with Jamie was already proving to be dangerous, being alone in a car with no one else around was just asking for trouble. “You’ve been drinking,” Dani said as she glanced at the pint in Jamie’s hand, clinging onto the first excuse that came to mind. “It would be incredibly irresponsible and dangerous to have you get behind the wheel just to give me a ride home.”

Jamie eyed her for a moment, as if trying to evaluate whether or not that was the real reason behind her hesitation. “I’ll have you know this is only my third drink of the night,” Jamie explained as she nodded towards the mostly full pint in front of her. “So that’s two and a quarter beers over the span of nearly 3 hours? I’ll admit I never paid much attention in those alcohol awareness lessons, but even I know that’s not enough to impair my ability to drive, legally or otherwise.”

“But you were out celebrating your birthday,” Dani protested, her surprise over learning Jamie only had a few beers quickly turning to suspicion. “You’re telling me you only had two other drinks tonight?”

“I was planning on having a lot more than that at the start of the night,” Jamie agreed as she leaned forward, arms resting on the table, “But then I caught sight of this gorgeous American and I didn’t want to make a complete drunken fool out of myself…it’s already been hard enough to get her to take me seriously.”

A blush spread across Dani’s face and her heart started to race as she realized that she was the reason Jamie hadn’t been getting drunk with her friends tonight. She couldn’t deny she was flattered that Jamie was attracted to her and wanted to make a good impression, but she shouldn’t be as affected by the other woman as she was.

“You shouldn’t have been worried about what I would think. You should have just had a good time with your friends.”

“You’re probably right,” Jamie agreed, although the look she was giving Dani indicated she had no regrets about her decisions over the course of the evening.

Dani took a long sip of her beer, needing something to distract from the way a simple look from Jamie could make her feel more flustered than any other flirtatious interaction Dani had experienced in her entire life.

“So, about that ride?” Jamie asked, breaking the silence that had settled over the pair.

It was still a bad idea. Dani knew that, and yet, it seemed like she didn’t have any other good options. It was certainly better than staying the night at Jamie’s place and risking a run in with Mikey. There was no good way to explain to an 11-year-old boy why his teacher was sleeping on his couch, or worse, staying in his sister’s room.

Dani gave a quick shake of her head to clear her thoughts before meeting Jamie’s gaze, “Yeah, okay…if you’re really sure you’re okay to drive.”

Jamie nudged her nearly full pint towards the center of the table and held her hands up, “Won’t even drink another drop, but I promise you, I’m not the slightest bit buzzed.”

Dani nodded and took another sip of her beer to calm her nerves at the thought of getting a ride home from Jamie. “I hope you don’t expect me to drink that one too,” she joked as she looked at the other pint.

“It’s yours if you want it, I’m driving after all,” Jamie offered with a chuckle.

“I don’t think that’s a very good idea,” Dani decided, “I’ll just stick with this one.”

“Why wouldn’t it be a good idea?” Jamie asked, a knowing glint in her eye while her expression seemed almost hopeful.

Dani knew what Jamie was hinting at; what she wanted to hear Dani admit. However, she hadn’t had nearly enough alcohol to be that honest. It was bad enough that Jamie clearly could tell that she was attracted to her in some way, enough to be giving her that knowing look. But she refused to actually voice the concern out loud and give her the satisfaction of knowing that a couple more beers might make Dani a little less guarded and a little freer with her thoughts, her words, her hands…

“Getting wasted while a student gives you a ride home? In what world could that possibly be a good idea?” Dani finally said with a playful smile.

“Fair enough,” Jamie replied, although she seemed a bit disappointed as she leaned away from the table.

“We can head out anytime,” Dani said as she set her half-full pint on the table. “We don’t have to wait for me to finish my beer. I mean, I feel bad since your friends paid for it, but it’s a little weird to have you just sitting there watching me drink it.”

“First I can’t even drink my lager and now I don’t even get to watch you have yours?” Jamie asked and gave a shake of her head, “You’re really ruining all the fun with your judgments about what’s appropriate. Just sit back and enjoy the free pint, Poppins.”

The playfully exasperated comment did something to Dani. She wanted to be annoyed that Jamie said she was ruining the fun for merely trying to maintain some sense of respectable boundaries between them. However, the hint of authoritative edge to Jamie’s tone as she gave the instruction to sit back and drink her beer was what had Dani’s mind reeling. Up until that point, Jamie hadn’t ever challenged Dani’s position as the one who ultimately had the control over their interactions. And Jamie wasn’t attempting to be overbearing or trying to pressure Dani into staying. Rather, it was a simple request shared in a way one might speak to a friend or peer. Someone with whom there was no power differential.

Dani found herself complying with the request as she lifted the pint glass to her lips and took another sip. She didn’t miss the satisfied smile that spread across Jamie’s face, but she didn’t read too much into it either.

She wasn’t staying to appease Jamie; she was staying because she wanted to. The only reason she had offered to head out was to quiet the voice in the back of her head telling her it was risky to be stay at the pub any longer than she already had. But when she thought about what she wanted, she knew she wanted to stay and finish the free drink.

As she set her glass back down, she tried to think of things to discuss that weren’t related to school, knowing neither of them wanted a direct reminder of Goldthorpe Academy. Fortunately, Jamie shifted forward first with a new topic.

“So, what causes an American to settle in South Yorkshire of all places?”

Dani laughed at the judgmental expression on Jamie’s face. “Well, I moved to England in search of a job. I interviewed all over, but honestly, this was the only school that would sponsor me for a work visa. Not that I don’t love it here, but I didn’t exactly have my mind set on living here before I got the job offer.”

“Don’t lie, no one loves it here,” Jamie shot back with a cheeky smile, “I don’t appreciate being lied to. Just admit you were heartbroken you didn’t get a job in London or Brighton, or hell, even Newcastle.”

“I do love it!” Dani protested, though a joyful laugh escaped her at Jamie’s expression. “I’ll admit that I knew absolutely nothing about this area before I moved, but it’s so beautiful in the countryside, and Goldthorpe is such an adorable little town. We don’t have anything with this much history or charm back where I’m from.”

“And where is that exactly?” Jamie asked, her smile easy and relaxed as if she could sit and listen to Dani talk all day.

“Iowa,” Dani answered. She knew by now it was no use mentioning the specific town, most people she came across in England barely recognized the name of the state, so it was pointless narrowing it down to an even more specific part of the state.

“Iowa,” Jamie repeated, “That’s a state you don’t hear much about.”

“For good reason,” Dani responded with a chuckle before taking a sip of her beer. “There’s not a whole lot to talk about, especially the part where I’m from.”

“So, a small-town girl moves to a slightly larger village in England…that does help explain why you find this place even a little bit interesting,” Jamie said with a playful nod as if it was all starting to make sense. “But why England? America has plenty of big cities that wouldn’t have required moving to an entirely new country and getting a visa.”

“I studied abroad here in college. In London, actually. I just fell in love with everything about it. I know a lot of people get homesick when they travel far away, but not me. In fact, it was kinda the opposite; it was going back home that was the hard part. So, after I graduated, I decided to come back.”

Jamie listened to the story with a smile, her delight over Dani finally opening up was evident from the expression on her face. “Bet you left a trail of broken hearts when you left that small town of yours.”

Edmund’s face flashed through Dani’s mind and she frowned as she looked down guiltily at the table. She hadn’t heard from him since their heated phone call a month ago. Even though she finally had her own phone line in her apartment, she hadn’t gotten a call from anyone but her mother, who she knew must have passed along the number to Eddie since she’d been the one to give him the number to Dani’s school.

“I, uh, don’t really want to talk about that,” Dani admitted, still avoiding Jamie’s gaze as she picked up her glass and took a long sip to try to clear away her lingering guilt.

“Shit, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to bring anything bad up,” Jamie apologized, her features contorting into an expression of concerned remorse.

“It’s fine,” Dani said with a dismissive wave of her free hand as she took another sip, draining the glass before setting it on the table. “Do you want to head out now?” She asked even though she was already rising to her feet.

“Okay,” Jamie agreed as she stood up, though her tone was reluctant and her expression still filled with regret.

Once they were outside with Jamie leading them in the direction of her house, she spoke again. “Listen, I’m really sorry for what I said. I wasn’t trying to pry or bring up any bad memories. I wish I could just go back and redo the last few minutes. Ask about living in London or weird American food trends instead.”

Dani chuckled, not as carelessly as before, but she appreciated Jamie’s attempts to lighten the situation. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” Dani assured her. “There are some people who are not too pleased with me for leaving Iowa…so it just brought up some of those memories. But you had no way of knowing that, so don’t worry about it.”

Jamie gave a small nod and glanced over at Dani as they continued to make their way along the sidewalk. “I still feel bad for bringing up those memories, even if it was unintentional on my part. If you ever want to talk, I’m a great listener. Just ask Mikey, he blabbers on all day long and I haven’t cut his tongue out yet.”

A laugh escaped Dani and helped to nudge away the remnants of the negative feelings that had been stirred up. However, the mention of Mikey caused a jolt of concern to cut through her. “Is Mikey going to see us when we go to get the car?”

“Nah, don’t worry, Poppins,” Jamie replied as if she could easily detect the reason for the concerned question. “He’s staying at a friend’s house across town. So there will be no one to spread gossip around school on Monday about why Mikey’s sister was giving Miss Clayton a ride home.”

Dani felt her shoulders relax knowing she wouldn’t have an unexpected run in with Mikey. “I thought you couldn’t call me Miss Clayton, hence the whole ‘Poppins’ thing,” Dani challenged as she glanced over at Jamie.

“Didn’t say that I couldn’t,” Jamie reminded her, “Just that it gives me very dirty thoughts when I do.”

From the smirk on Jamie’s face, Dani didn’t even have to ask her if she’d had dirty thoughts just now when she’d said it – the answer was a definite yes. A pink blush tinged her cheeks and she was glad it was dark out and Jamie wasn’t able to see.

“Let me just run inside to get the keys,” Jamie announced when they reached their destination and stopped beside an old pick-up truck.

Dani nodded and watched Jamie disappear inside the terraced house. The brick building was drab; the whole row of houses looking equally bleak and mundane. She found herself wishing she could see what the interior of the house looked like. If it came alive through its furnishings and had a sense of warmth that was not conveyed by the exterior. However, she wasn’t about to follow Jamie inside, knowing that had the potential to send a very confusing message about her intentions.

As she stood outside alone, Dani realized just how cold it had gotten over the course of the evening. Her sweater had kept her plenty warm at the start of the night, but now the cold October weather was settling around her, causing a chill to run up her spine. Dani shivered and crossed her arms over her chest to try to preserve body heat.

“You cold?” Jamie called out, causing Dani to glance over to see her hovering in the doorway. Before Dani could call back a reply, insisting she was fine, Jamie had already disappeared back into the house.

A moment later she emerged with a green jacket tucked under her arm. When she approached Dani, she held the jacket up, rather than handing it over.

Dani hesitated for a moment before realizing that she was already accepting a ride home from the student, taking her up on borrowing a jacket was relatively minor in comparison. Besides, she was cold and the jacket looked too warm to pass up.

“Thank you,” she murmured quietly as she stepped forward and allowed Jamie to help her into the green jacket.

“Anytime,” was Jamie’s reply, the soft tone sending a shivering up Dani’s spine due to their closeness. Dani turned around quickly with a nervous smile. “Shall we?” She asked as she nodded towards the car.

Jamie nodded and opened the passenger side door for Dani before making her way around to the other side of the truck. Dani was busy trying to control her racing heart through slow, deep breaths. Jamie helping her with the jacket and the car door were such minor, but considerate actions. Things that Eddie had done for her dozens, if not hundreds, of times over the course of their relationship, yet Dani had never felt so much from a simple act of kindness.

“Alright, where we headed?” Jamie asked as she settled into the driver’s seat.

“Back towards Goldthorpe. I live a few blocks away from the school,” Dani explained, figuring it was useless to give more specific directions until they got closer.

Jamie gave a nod as she turned the key in the ignition. Dani couldn’t help but focus her attention on the young woman. Her gaze traveled over Jamie’s delicate features as she turned to look out of the back window while she backed the truck out of the driveway. When she turned back around, she caught Dani watching her and a small smile played on her lips as she began to make her way down the street.

“So, are there any big, scary boyfriends I need to be worried about coming outside to give me a hard time for keeping you out so late?”

Dani chuckled at the question. It was a humorous, though very blatant attempt to figure out if she was single. It was a risky question for Jamie to ask and she knew she didn’t have to give her an answer. However, she decided to have a little fun with it.

“First of all, _you_ didn’t keep me out late,” Dani said with a pointed tone to indicate it was her decision to stay at the pub and had nothing to do with Jamie. “But no, there’s no need to worry. He’s pretty big, but not that scary.”

The disbelief that settled over Jamie’s features was almost enough to cause Dani to break. But it was the wide, disappointed eyes and matching frown that Jamie sent her way that caused a cheeky smile to spread across Dani’s face before she let out an amused laugh.

Jamie caught on quickly and a look of relief washed over her followed by a playful roll of her eyes as she directed her attention back to the road. “Oh, so you think you’re funny,” she commented with a small chuckle of her own. “Damn near broke my heart just now and you’re sitting there having a laugh over it.”

The comment quickly sobered Dani up and she straightened up in her seat; all trace of amusement clearing from her expression. “Jamie…” she started, unsure of how to finish her warning. “You know that’s really not appropriate.”

“Relax, it’s just an expression. I didn’t mean anything by it,” Jamie replied dismissively. The tiredness in her voice, however, reflected her exasperation over Dani yet again putting up a wall between them.

Dani was quiet as she turned to look out the window. If she was being honest, she was also tired of having to keep the wall up between her and Jamie. She enjoyed how easily the conversation flowed between them, how easy and fun it was to banter and tease each other. If they’d met in any other situation, Dani wouldn’t shy away from the playful jokes and flirtatious comments. In fact, she would eagerly welcome them, perhaps even be bold enough to flirt back. But the harsh reality of their current situation prevented that and Dani had to accept that, even though part of her, a large part of her even, didn’t really want to.

As she stared at the dark shadows of the passing scenery going by, occasionally lit up by streetlamps, Dani kept reflecting on how comfortable Jamie seemed despite it all. Certainly, as a student she had much less at stake. If they were to get in trouble for being too close, too intimate with one another, it would be Dani to blame as she was the teacher. The one who should know better. But more than that, Jamie just seemed comfortable with all of it – the flirting, the meaningful looks, trying to figure out Dani’s relationship status.

Dani had been out to herself for about a month and she still found herself struggling with accepting it; with labeling her sexuality and coming to terms with the fact she wasn’t going to have the future she had always envisioned with a husband, two kids, and a white picket fence. Realistically, she knew she still could have those things, but it just wouldn’t be right. It wasn’t what she wanted. And the prospect of figuring out what she did want was daunting. The thought of dating a woman, falling in love with a woman, spending her life with a woman…completely terrifying, but exhilarating at the same time.

And then there was Jamie. Three years younger than her, but seemingly much more at ease with who she was and not embarrassed in the least to shamelessly flirt with another woman. Dani wasn’t sure how she got to that level of comfort, but she decided that now, in the safety and privacy of the car, away from anyone else’s judgment, was a good time to find out.

“So, you’re a lesbian?” She asked bluntly, not taking the time to figure out how best to broach the topic.

Jamie seemed startled by the question; although, that may have been in part because Dani had been completely silent for the last several minutes.

“Yeah, I suppose so. I’ve never really been that keen on labels, but if I had to have one, I guess that would be pretty fitting.” Jamie’s gaze remained fixed on the road, her hands tightening ever so slightly on the steering wheel. Dani took note of the subtle shift in posture and realized Jamie was nervous as she awaited Dani’s reaction.

“I’m definitely not judging or anything like that,” Dani rushed to explain to ease Jamie’s nerves. “I’m just…surprised, I guess. You seem so comfortable about it. Confident, even.”

“Any reason I shouldn’t be?” Jamie challenged, risking a glance over at Dani with a raised eyebrow.

Dani’s cheeks flushed as she realized how her comment could come across as rude. “No, not at all. I think it’s great you’re comfortable with being, you know, gay. I know it’s a struggle for a lot of people to be open about it. And that’s wrong, it should be easy to come out and be accepted…but for a lot of people, it isn’t.”

Jamie nodded at Dani’s rambling explanation. “To be honest with you, I’m not all that open about it. A few of my mates know, but other than that, it’s not something I talk about much. It’s not that I necessarily try to hide it, I just don’t trust, or even talk to, a whole lot of people. Most of them aren’t worth the effort.”

Dani had shifted in her seat while Jamie was talking to face towards her. She watched the young woman as she spoke and her heart ached at the final, bitter comment. It was clear that Jamie had been hurt before; let down by someone. She already knew about the bullying at school, but something told Dani there was more than that. From Jamie’s tense posture, Dani could tell it wasn’t something she wanted to talk more about at the present time. She decided to leave the trust issues for another day and asked another question that was on her mind.

“Just your friends know? What about Mikey or your parents? Other family?”

“It’s just me, Dad, and Mikey,” Jamie explained. “Mum split a while back and my older brother Denny got a job and moved out as soon as he finished school. Barely heard from him since, not that it’s any real loss – either of them.” She paused for a moment before addressing the question. “My dad’s not really around enough to take notice of who I spend my time with. And Mikey…well, I think in another year or two he’ll figure it out, but I’m not planning on sitting him down to have a big conversation about it.” Jamie let out a chuckle, as if amused by the thought of having that conversation with her little brother.

Dani let out a light laugh, but her mind was still focused on an earlier comment. She wondered what Jamie meant about her dad not taking notice of who she spent her time with. One might interpret the comment to mean Jamie spent her time around other women, took them on dates, brought them home maybe. She might even have a girlfriend. The thought made Dani’s stomach twist, but she convinced herself it was just because of the fact Jamie had been flirting so blatantly with her and if she was doing that when she had a girlfriend it meant she was a player and Dani found that type of behavior sickening.

Dani wanted to ask for clarification, to appease the gnawing feeling in her stomach at the thought of Jamie having a girlfriend, multiple girlfriends maybe, spread all around town. However, she found she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Whether that was because she knew the question might leave her open to more flirtatious teasing or because she was afraid of the answer, she wasn’t sure.

Another silence settled over them, but this time Jamie was the one to break it. “So, what about you?”

“What about me?” Dani asked, glancing over in confusion to see what Jamie was asking. Was she asking if Dani had a girlfriend? Dani was fairly certain she hadn’t actually asked the question that had been on her mind, but she also had trouble remembering what else Jamie might be referring to.

“What’s your deal? Straight, gay, bi?” Jamie clarified, shooting a hopeful glance over at Dani.

“Oh,” Dani said, her confused expression fading into one of understanding. She thought about the question and even though she knew the answer, she still wasn’t too comfortable with admitting it out loud. Fortunately, it also seemed like a pretty bad idea to do so with her present company, so she clung to that excuse. “I don’t think that’s something you should be asking.”

“You did,” Jamie shot back defensively. “Only seems fair I should be able to ask the same.”

Although she had a point, Dani convinced herself it was different. She had only asked because Jamie’s incessant flirting had led her to that conclusion and she was just clarifying. Jamie’s question seemed designed only to fuel the obvious crush she had on Dani.

“I disagree. As a teacher, I get to ask my students all kinds of things – to do their homework, to stop talking in class, to go to the front office. They don’t get to ask me to do the same.”

“And we’re back to the teacher thing,” Jamie said with an exasperated sigh. “Do you ever get tired of bringing that up? You are aware you’re not my teacher, right? And seeing as this is my last year, you won’t ever be my teacher, even if they bumped you up to teach sixth form next year.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Dani said dismissively, even though she’d had those same thoughts many times. Another silence fell over the car, this one slightly more tense due to Jamie’s lingering frustration. When they arrived in town, Dani quietly gave directions to her flat. Jamie followed her instructions without comment until they arrived outside the block of flats and she put the truck into park.

“If I wasn’t a student, would you have given me a chance? Would you let me get to know you, flirt with you, take you on a date even, without keeping me at a distance?” Jamie asked, her voice soft as she glanced over at Dani with a questioning gaze.

Dani felt her pulse quicken as she processed the question. It was the most direct Jamie had been about her feelings for her; what she would want with her if Dani were to allow it. She had been asking herself the same thing for weeks, but never let herself consider it long enough to arrive at an answer.

“There’s no point asking me that,” Dani responded, the same thing she always told herself to shut down those thoughts. “The situation is what it is and thinking about hypotheticals doesn’t change anything.”

“So even though we both _hypothetically_ might want something to happen if the situation were different, we can’t do anything about it? Two consenting, legal, over the age of consent adults can’t get to know each other and go on a date?”

Dani shook her head, more for her own benefit to stop herself from being enticed by Jamie’s admittedly persuasive argument. “Legally I might not get in trouble, but ethically…I highly doubt the school would look kindly on the new teacher going on a date with a student. Even if you’re not my student, it just looks bad. They hardly know me, so what’s to stop them from thinking I’m going to start dating other students, even ones who are underage?”

Jamie scoffed, “Come on, who would think that? Someone who looks like you do could have your choice of anyone. You don’t need to be making a move on students to get a date.”

A flattered smile appeared on Dani’s face, but she brushed off the comment before she could get side-tracked. “The school board doesn’t know me. Their primary concern would be protecting the students, and rightfully so. But it means I would probably lose my job, which means I’d have to go back to Iowa, and I really, really don’t want to that. I meant it when I said I love living here. And I love teaching at Goldthorpe. So, I’m sorry, but I can’t risk it, Jamie.”

Jamie let out a sigh as she dropped her head back against the seat in defeat. After a moment, she turned her head towards Dani, a ghost of her usual smirk playing at her lips. “I take that to mean you are interested though, yeah?”

A laugh escaped Dani at the unexpected question – she certainly hadn’t expected that to be Jamie’s response to all of that. “Goodnight, Jamie,” she said with a pointed tone, although the amused expression on her face gave a clear answer to the question. She reached for the door handle but Jamie stopped her with a hand placed on her arm, causing her to look over.

“I get what you’re saying and I won’t push you. Trust me, I don’t want you having to go back to America either. But getting to spend time with you tonight was probably the best birthday present I’ve ever had. Is there a way we can still spend time together and get to know each other as friends?”

The pleading look on Jamie’s face was so sincere that it made Dani’s heart hurt to even think about refusing her. She also found that she didn’t really want to. “While I still don’t think the school would be too happy about that, I suppose it would be okay. We’d just have to be careful; we wouldn’t want anyone thinking that it was a date.”

“No, certainly wouldn’t want that,” Jamie teased before giving a serious nod. “I wouldn’t want to do anything to make you reconsider, so I promise to be on my best behavior when we hang out.”

“Why don’t I believe you?” Dani asked with a smirk. She knew the question bordered on flirtatious, but she didn’t care. She was feeling much too giddy about the thought of developing a friendship with Jamie and getting to spend time with her. It was risky and she knew it, but Jamie was the person closest in age that she’d met since moving to Goldthorpe. And apart from that, she admittedly loved getting to know the other woman. Although she knew she might regret the decision and end up having to create some distance and put up more barriers, for tonight she was content to be optimistic that this arrangement might work out.

“Goodnight,” she repeated as she reached for the door handle without interruption this time.

“Goodnight Poppins,” Jamie said with a happy smile as she watched her get out of the truck.

Dani’s smile lingered as she made her way to the front door of the building, knowing Jamie’s gaze was on her the entire time. Whether it was simply to make sure she made it inside safely, or because she was checking her out, Dani wasn’t sure but it made her heart flutter all the same. Friends, she reminded herself as she opened the door to the building. Just friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there's the second half of the chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thank you so much to everyone who commented on the last chapter! I am so overwhelmed by the love for this story and every review makes me smile so much and motivates me to keep writing! 
> 
> Let me know what you think of the story so far. There's been some progress, Dani and Jamie are now...friends? That should work out well.


	8. Chapter 8

As Dani headed out of her flat Monday morning, she let her fingers brush gently over the green jacket draped over one of the dining room chairs. She’d been unable to resist reaching out to touch it every time she walked past, each time thinking of Jamie and the time they’d spent together on Friday night.

The jacket also served as a reminder that she needed to find a way to return it to its owner. Something more easily said than done. Dani knew she couldn’t return it at school, it was too risky and might attract attention and raise some questions. It did, however, serve as a perfect excuse to set up a time to meet outside of school to return the jacket and spend time getting to know one another as friends. Maybe that was why Jamie hadn’t said anything as she’d watched Dani walk inside her flat with her jacket still on.

The thought of arranging a time to spend time with Jamie chased away any Monday blues as Dani headed to school. However, her mood was quickly spoiled when she remembered other parts of her Friday night, more specifically, meeting Peter Quint. She made a mental note to track down Hannah, and maybe Owen too, to get their opinion on Rebecca’s boyfriend.

The day went by quickly enough. During lunch, Dani noticed Rebecca seemed a bit down, but she brushed off the concern by saying she simply missed Peter already. Dani wasn’t so sure that something else hadn’t happened, another fight perhaps. She caught Hannah’s eye and exchanged a knowing look with the other woman, an unspoken promise to talk more about it later.

After her last class of the day, Dani headed towards the library, hoping to catch Hannah to see if she was up for a chat. When she reached the desk in the library, she was surprised to see Owen there. He and Hannah were talking quietly and appeared in good spirits. Dani was about to slip away, not wanting to interrupt, when Owen spotted her.

“Ah, my favorite American!” He called out, quietly enough not to disturb the students working after school in the library.

Since she’d been spotted, Dani decided to make her way over to the pair with a smile. “That comment might be a little more meaningful if I wasn’t the only American you knew,” she teased. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“You weren’t interrupting anything,” Hannah said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Owen just stopped by to say hello. Is there something I can help you with?”

“Not help, per se,” Dani said as she wondered how to gently broach the topic on her mind. “But there is something I wanted to talk with you about. Both of you actually. Privately.” She added the last part with a quick glance around, knowing that even the students who appeared to be focused on their work may be prone to eavesdrop.

“Of course,” Hannah said with a nod as she gestured for the other two to follow her into the small office behind the desk. The large windows in the office meant that Hannah could keep an eye on the students, but the thick wood door would allow them to converse without any students overhearing.

“Would you like some tea?” Hannah asked as she began to make her way over to the electric kettle and tea set tucked into a corner of the office.

“Allow me,” Owen offered as he quickly made his way to the corner to take over the tea making duties.

Hannah gave him a warm smile before taking a chair by Dani and looking at her expectantly.

Dani cleared her throat nervously, not exactly sure how to begin. She felt bad, as if she was gossiping about a friend behind her back. However, she wasn’t doing this for any reason other than her concern for Rebecca’s well-being, which made it very different from idle gossip.

“So, as you both know, I went out to a pub with Rebecca and her boyfriend this weekend. And I gotta say, he is not what I expected. Rebecca’s so kind and smart and funny, so I guess I expected her boyfriend to be the same. But Peter…”

“Is none of those things?” Hannah finished with a small smile before she shook her head. “Trust me, dear, you weren’t the only one surprised by meeting Peter Quint. Owen and I have met him three, maybe four times now?” She looked over to Owen who nodded as he fixed three cups of tea.

“Unfortunately,” Owen said with a shake of his head before glancing at Dani. “How do you take your tea?”

“Oh, uh…just however you take it is fine,” Dani said with a small smile. “I’m still not that great at making it for myself.”

“You’ll learn. There’s nothing _tea_ it,” Owen replied with an amused grin as he carried the cups over for Dani and Hannah.

Hannah rolled her eyes, but a smile played at her lips as she turned her attention to Dani. “I think it’s safe to say that we’re all in agreement that Rebecca could do much better than Peter Quint.”

Dani nodded, relieved that Hannah and Owen felt the same. “I saw the way he was treating her and I just felt so bad. I wanted to say something, but it didn’t feel like it was my place, you know? But he got mad at her for wearing this top that he didn’t think was appropriate for her to wear out…and then got even more mad because some guy checked her out. I mean, I didn’t see him say anything to her, but she told me about it and I don’t doubt it happened.”

Hannah sighed and shook her head, seemingly at a loss for words to explain Peter’s behavior.

“Excuse my language, but he’s a piece of shit,” Owen muttered as he took a seat with his own cup of tea in hand. “I didn’t like him from the moment I met him. I can hardly say a word to Rebecca when he’s around or I’m getting glared at from across the room all night. I can only hope that’s the extent of it and he’s not taking out his jealousy on her even more when we’re not around.”

“I’m sure he is,” Hannah said with a frown. “Men like that think everyone’s to blame but themselves. If Rebecca so much as smiles at one of your jokes, she’s at fault for finding you amusing and you’re at fault for making her laugh.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Dani exclaimed in disbelief. “So, Rebecca’s not allowed to have male friends just because Peter gets jealous? Why does she put up with that?”

“The same reason anyone does, I suppose,” Hannah sighed. “She’s in love. She rationalizes his behavior because it’s easier to believe he has reasons for acting the way he does than to realize that she’s made a mistake in judging his character and falling in love with him in the first place.”

“He can turn on the charm when he wants to,” Owen added. “I’ve seen her get to the point where she’s nearly fed up and just like that he’ll be gentle and doting, saying things to make her laugh. It’s sickening, really.”

“So, what are we doing to do about it?” Dani asked, getting to the real reason she had come to them.

“That’s the question, isn’t it?” Hannah asked. “It’s always quite dangerous to take a stance on a friend’s personal life. If we come on too strong and upset her, we risk pushing her away from us and closer to him.”

“But we have to do something,” Dani insisted as she set her teacup on the desk. “We all agree he’s not good for her and we’d be bad friends to not do anything about it.”

“We should do something,” Owen agreed, “But we need to be very careful about what we say,” he added as he reflected both women’s concerns.

“Maybe we can invite her out for dinner or a drink this weekend. And then we can get her talking about him and casually bring up our concerns. That way it doesn’t feel like the whole thing is a planned attack, just that we’re mentioning some things we’ve noticed while we’re on the subject of him.” Dani glanced between her friends hopefully as she outlined her plan.

Hannah considered that for a moment before nodding. “That could work. We’ll have to be careful, of course, and monitor her reactions to see if we need to back off at any point. But I quite like that plan.”

“It sounds good to me,” Owen said with a nod. “Her favorite restaurant is this little bistro in town, we could all meet up there for supper.”

“Perfect,” Dani enthused with a nod. “Does Saturday night work?”

Both Hannah and Owen nodded and Dani felt the tiniest bit better now that a plan was in place. “Great, tomorrow during the dinner break I’ll mention meeting up on Saturday. And Hannah maybe you can suggest that restaurant? I’m sure Rebecca will be up for it since she’s staying in town this weekend.”

Hannah nodded again before glancing past Dani out the window to her office. “Oh, it looks like there’s a student who needs assistance. But that’s an excellent plan, Dani. Rebecca’s lucky to have a friend like you. We all are.” Hannah gave her an appreciative smile and squeezed Dani’s shoulder on her way out of the office.

“Hannah’s right. You’re a good friend for wanting to actually do something to help Rebecca. Hannah and I have talked about him but I’m not sure we ever would have done anything about it out of concern of upsetting Rebecca. But a bigger concern is letting this carry on. We assumed she would see through his act and leave, but at this point, he may propose and try to trap her for good.”

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Dani admitted with a nod. “But I’m feeling good about our plan. I think if we handle it the right way, we can express our concerns while not trying to force her hand. Just letting her know we care about her.”

“I think you’re right,” Owen said with a smile. “Best to stay hopeful anyway, that’s what I always say.”

Dani returned his smile and caught the way his gaze drifted out to watch Hannah helping a student. She was reminded that she had interrupted them when she came by to chat. Whether they had plans later on or simply were enjoying a conversation, she decided it was best to leave them to it. “I should head out, lots of grading to get done,” she explained as she stood up from her chair.

“Sounds like fun,” Owen joked with a chuckle before his smile got even brighter, “I’ll tea you later!”

“Oh come on, you already made a pun with tea earlier,” Dani said with a mock exasperated tone. “If you’re going to make such terrible jokes, at least be a little more original.”

“You’re right, that was weak,” Owen said with a solemn nod, “I should be _pun_ -ished.”

“Oh my god,” Dani called out as she walked away. Truthfully, she was glad she was on her way out because Owen’s comment made her think back to Jamie’s flirtatious yet very inappropriate comment about being punished just a couple weeks before. Her face grew warm as she thought back to that comment, which served as a reminder that she needed to return her jacket.

As she was walking down the hall back to her classroom, she suddenly stopped short when she realized the woman she’d just been thinking of was making her way down the same hallway. Jamie’s gaze was fixed on the ground and she hadn’t yet spotted the teacher. Dani figured she was on her way to collect Mikey in the library so they could go home.

Dani quickly glanced around, noticing they were the only two in the hall and this might be the best opportunity she would have to schedule a time to meet up. She began walking towards the student again, the movement finally catching Jamie’s attention and causing her to glance up.

She watched as her presence registered and the familiar smirk formed on Jamie’s face. Before she could say anything, Dani stopped in front of her. “Come with me,” she said in assertive tone before continuing past the student.

Dani didn’t have to check behind her to know Jamie was following. She led the way to her classroom, glad the rest of the halls were deserted as well. As soon as they both entered the room, Dani shut the door behind them, granting them some privacy to make plans.

“Sorry for dragging you away, I just figured it was a good time to talk,” Dani explained as she made her way towards the front of the room.

“Talk?” Jamie repeated, her tone incredulous as she wandered behind Dani to join her at the front of the room.

“Yeah, to find a time to hang out like we talked about on Friday,” she reminded Jamie, wondering if she’d already forgotten. “You know, as friends.” She emphasized the last part to make it clear she wasn’t going back on anything she had said over the weekend.

“I know I promised to be on my best behavior and all, but you have to realize what you’re doing to me,” Jamie said as she waved a hand to gesture towards the hall. “Walking up to me like that and using that tone, telling me to come with you. Leading me to an empty classroom and shutting the door…come on, Poppins, that’s just not fair.”

In the moment, Dani hadn’t realized how her actions might have painted a very different picture about what she’d had in mind by bringing Jamie here. However, once it was pointed out she understood how it had seemed to the student. “I uh, I really didn’t mean to…” she trailed off, unable to voice what exactly she’d made it seem like might happen. “I really just wanted to find a way for us to talk without anyone else overhearing.”

“It’s all good,” Jamie said with a reassuring smile as she made her way over to one of the student desks and sat on top. “So, you want to find a time to see me outside of school then?”

Dani noticed the way Jamie still seemed smug, clearly pleased that Dani actually wanted to spend time with her. Although she wished Jamie didn’t have to smirk over everything, she decided to let it slide. After all, it was only Monday and she was already tracking Jamie down to find a time they could see each other again.

“Yeah, and I still have your jacket. I forgot to give it back on Friday. I figured we could set a time to meet up this weekend and I can bring it then? Unless you need it before then…”

“Nah, it’s fine,” Jamie said with a shake of her head. “You can keep it til the weekend. You may need it to keep warm during those lonely nights alone in your flat.”

Dani smiled at the comment gently hinting at her single status. It was clear that Jamie was still relieved to find out that bit of information over the weekend. “I do have heat and blankets and my own jackets even.”

“Yeah, but if you wear mine, it’ll probably smell nice like you when you give it back,” Jamie pointed out.

Dani’s heart fluttered at the comment and the small smile on Jamie’s lips as she said it. She couldn’t exactly fault Jamie for the comment; as soon as she’d entered her apartment on Friday and realized she still had the coat on she may have taken a moment to cuddle further into the warmth and took a deep breath of the very Jamie scent before forcing herself to remove the jacket and leave it over a chair. So no, she couldn’t fault Jamie at all for the comment. But she knew she had to remind her of the boundaries that needed to be in place.

“Do you often want your clothes to smell like your friends?” She asked in a pointed tone with a playful smirk on her lips.

Jamie chuckled at the comment, picking up on the fact that Dani was not so subtly reminding her they were supposed to be friends and nothing more. “Yeah, I do actually.”

“Really?” Dani challenged, getting a stubborn nod in reply. “Fine, so when do you want to meet up so I can give it back?”

“My weekend’s pretty free,” Jamie admitted with a shrug. “Maybe we can meet on Saturday?”

“I can’t do Saturday,” Dani said as she thought about the plans she’d just made with Hannah and Owen. “Does Sunday work?”

“Works for me,” Jamie said with a nod. “Where are we meeting then?”

“Um…” Dani trailed off and furrowed her brow as she puzzled over the question. Typically, she would meet up with friends at a bar or restaurant, but either option felt too risky with Jamie. Not only because of alcohol, but also if they were spotted by anyone from school it would look like a date. Especially with the way Jamie often looked at Dani, and if she was being honest, the way she looked at Jamie.

Another popular hangout option with friends was to go over to someone’s house. However, that option was definitely off the table. There was no way she could invite Jamie over to her place without it seeming like an invitation for something else. Dani also wasn’t sure she could trust herself with that much privacy around Jamie.

“We could…” she tried again, still drawing a blank. “I mean, we should meet up during the day. Somewhere public, but not necessarily crowded. And maybe not that close to school.” Dani rambled off a list of criteria for their meeting place, knowing she wanted to minimize the risk of running into people they knew, but if they did, for it to look as innocent as possible.

Jamie nodded along as she took in Dani’s list. “We could go somewhere and take a walk,” she offered, “Somewhere out in nature.”

Dani considered the suggestion before a smile spread across her face. “That sounds perfect.” It was public enough that it wouldn’t seem like they were meeting up to do anything illicit. In fact, they could always claim they just happened to run into each other and were simply taking a walk to talk about their concerns over Mikey’s bullying. The idea was brilliant and Dani couldn’t help but appreciate Jamie even more for thinking of it.

Jamie returned the smile, seemingly proud of herself for coming up with an idea that was deemed ‘perfect’. “There’s a nice little nature reserve a bit up north. Has a pond, trees, flowers, all of that scenic stuff.”

Dani gave a little nod, the place sounded great. “Where is it?” She asked as she moved over to where she kept her purse stored during the day. She pulled out a bus map that she kept with her and spread it out over the desk.

She felt more than saw Jamie coming up behind her. The other woman positioned herself behind and a little to the left of Dani, close enough to press gently against her as she leaned in to take a look at the map. Dani knew the proximity and contact were unnecessary, Jamie could have just as easily approached the map from the other side of the desk. However, she couldn’t find it in her to ask Jamie to move.

“It’s just there,” Jamie said as she pointed to a spot on the map.

Dani nodded slowly as she spotted the name of the nature reserve. She leaned further over the desk to grab a pen, finding that she immediately missed the warmth of the body behind her and not hesitating to return to her initial position as soon as she had her pen in hand. She made a little mark on her map so she’d be able to easily find the location on Sunday.

“I could borrow the truck again. Give you a ride,” Jamie offered, not making any attempt to move away or put distance between them.

Dani thought about how much she’d appreciate that, but knew it wasn’t the best idea to take her up on the offer. It certainly made it feel more like a date, plus she hated to inconvenience Jamie in that way.

“It’s out of your way,” she replied as she looked at the map, judging the distance from where Jamie lived and where she did.

“I don’t mind, it’s not that much out of the way,” Jamie said as she leaned back in to look at the map. She traced a finger idly along the route she could take while her other hand came up to lightly rest on Dani’s hip, as if for the purpose of helping to steady herself as she leaned closer to the map.

Dani’s eyes fluttered shut at the contact. Though Jamie’s hand was only gently resting against her, the spot beneath her hand felt far too warm, causing a fire to spread throughout Dani. “Jamie,” she whispered, her tone carrying a warning, but she didn’t trust herself to say anything else.

“Hmm?” The other woman murmured, playing naïve to what she was doing to cause Dani to react in such a way.

Dani wanted to turn to see if Jamie was really as clueless as she was pretending or if she was wearing her usual smirk. But she knew that if she were to turn around, they would be entirely too close. Close enough that Jamie could easily make a move, eliminate the small distance between them and kiss her. Dani didn’t know if she’d be able to stop her. If she’d want to stop her.

“We’re going on a walk _as friends_ ,” she reminded Jamie. “I think it’s best if we both get there separately.” She put all of her effort into making her tone as serious as she could, not leaving any room for Jamie to argue with her decision.

She both heard and felt the sigh that escaped Jamie, the resigned exhale tickling the hairs at the back of her neck. “Alright then,” Jamie agreed. She lingered a moment before taking a step back her hand dropping back to her side, as if sensing that any minute Dani would also say something about their closeness.

Dani felt like she could breathe properly again with the distance and she happily drew a deep breath in through her nose as she straightened up to fold her map.

“So, we’ll meet there Sunday?” Jamie asked as she began to walk towards the door. “Any particular time?”

“Let’s say 11,” Dani suggested, knowing it would give her plenty of time to get up and ready for the day and figure out the bus schedule so she could get there.

“11 it is,” Jamie agreed as she reached the door. “See you then, Poppins.”

Dani watched as Jamie left the room. She could tell the student was disappointed, hence her quick exit. Yet, she couldn’t fault herself for putting up the barriers between them. She knew she shouldn’t allow Jamie to test the boundaries so much; to let her get away with the little things because it only frustrated them both when she eventually put her foot down. Dani promised herself she’d be better about keeping things friendly and platonic and far from the danger zone.

However, she noticed the warmth of Jamie’s touch still lingered on her hip. The memory of the feeling of her breath against her neck sent a shiver down her spine. Dani knew she could make as many promises to herself as she liked, but when she was around Jamie, all bets were off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Another huge thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter. Your comments really make my day and I appreciate all the support and feedback on this story. 
> 
> Lots of you seem to want to see jealous Dani...so that will be making an appearance in an upcoming chapter. You never know what bits of inspiration I might get from the lovely comments section, so as always, feel free to comment and tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, what you want to see. I can't promise to incorporate every suggestion, but you never know what might make an appearance!


	9. Chapter 9

“Well, this isn’t going the way we hoped, is it?” Hannah muttered as she took a sip from her glass of wine.

Dani and Owen both nodded their agreement as they sipped their own drinks. For the past 20 minutes they’d tried to express their concerns about Peter to Rebecca without making her feel attacked. While Rebecca had graciously listened to their comments, they could tell she wasn’t exactly receptive to their feedback. After the first five minutes or so, she’d began to get defensive, albeit with a smile on her face.

They had continued expressing their carefully worded concerns, doing their best to soften the delivery as much as possible. However, only a moment ago Rebecca seemed to have had enough and politely excused herself to go to the bathroom.

“I feel like this is all my fault,” Dani said with a sigh. “I wanted to try and help her but I feel like she’s going to hate me now.”

“She’s not going to hate anyone,” Owen insisted. “She may just be…a bit more distant from us for a while.”

Dani let out a groan and shook her head. If she couldn’t make the situation better, she certainly wasn’t going to make it worse. “I’m going to talk to her,” she decided as she sat up straighter in her chair. “Just to try to clear the air and let her know she doesn’t have to pull away from us.”

“What exactly are you going to say?” Hannah asked, her expression dubious as she looked at Dani.

“I’ll think of something. But don’t worry, I’ll fix it.” Dani promised as she stood up from her seat and headed swiftly towards the bathroom.

She spotted Rebecca at the sinks when she entered, gently dabbing under her eyes with a tissue.

“Oh, Dani. Hello,” Rebecca said in surprise as she quickly crumpled the tissue in her hand.

Dani felt her heart ache as she realized their well-intentioned conversation had caused their friend to cry in the bathroom. “Hey,” Dani said softly as she approached the sink. “Listen, I just wanted to apologize. I know all of that was pretty sudden and we didn’t mean to upset you. I know it may have seemed like we were overstepping or being nosy, and I’m sorry if we were. We all just want you to be happy.”

Rebecca offered her a small smile, “Thank you. I know you all weren’t trying to be rude or anything like that. It’s just…difficult because there’s a side to Peter that he keeps really hidden. Seemingly from everyone but me. He can be very sweet and caring. And he’s been through a lot. I just wish other people could see that side to him too, it gives a little more context for the times he’s…not so great.”

“It might give more context,” Dani said softly, “But it doesn’t excuse it.”

Rebecca hesitated before giving a small nod. “You’re right. It doesn’t. And this conversation tonight has shown me that there are some things that Peter and I really need to discuss. If you all are picking up on him treating me a certain way, that means it’s happening entirely too often and that’s not acceptable.”

Dani nodded gently in agreement, but kept quiet as she could tell there was still more than Rebecca wanted to say.

“I will talk to him about his behavior…but I’m not ready to give up on our relationship. Maybe if he keeps acting the way he does and being so possessive…then I’ll have to rethink things. But I do believe we can work through this.”

Dani wasn’t sure she necessarily believed that Peter would completely change his manipulative and controlling behavior after a simple conversation. However, she knew this was as much as they were going to get from Rebecca at the moment. To try and push her anymore would certainly be to push her away from their friendship.

“I think that sounds like a good plan,” Dani finally answered with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “And know that you can come and talk to any of us at any time. We’re always here for you.”

“I know. Thank you,” Rebecca said with a smile that was a little more relaxed, her earlier discomfort having dissipated.

Dani led the pair back to their table, relieved that she’d done what she had promised and resolved the situation so Rebecca wouldn’t pull away from her friends. Once they were seated back at the table, the conversation turned to an entirely different topic and the group of friends enjoyed the rest of their meal.

As Dani headed home that evening, she found herself replaying the earlier conversation and desperately hoped that Rebecca would come to her senses about Peter before it was too late.

* * *

The bus slowed to a stop outside of the station and Dani felt her nerves kick into overdrive. After taking a deep breath, she got off the bus and glanced around, trying to get her bearings. She had studied the map earlier that morning to figure out how to get to her destination from the bus station, but was at a loss for which direction she should be headed in. Just as she was about to reach into her bag for her map, Dani spotted an all-too-familiar presence leaning against the brick wall of the station, cigarette in hand.

Dani couldn’t help the blush that tinged her cheeks as a slow smirk spread across Jamie’s face as she watched her walk over. When she was only a few feet away, Jamie pushed herself away from the building and dropped the butt of her cigarette on the ground.

“Those are really bad for you, ya know,” Dani said as she walked up, finding it an easier way to start the conversation instead of a nervous greeting.

“Really? Never heard that before,” Jamie teased. “Tell me Doctor, what’s it gonna do to me?”

“Well…” Dani started as she fell in step beside Jamie who was already leading them away from the station. “For starters, it can give you cancer and can increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.”

“So can a lot of things,” Jamie pointed out, “It’s all about picking your vices, really.”

“It can cause health problems for people around you too,” Dani pointed out, wondering if she was more likely to respond to putting others at risk.

“Good thing I stopped blowing smoke in other people’s faces last year. Really trying to be a good person and look out for others,” Jamie joked with a playful smile.

Dani knew she could let the topic drop, but she was determined to find something that would resonate with the young woman, unwilling to let her have the upper hand. “It also causes respiratory problems; makes it harder to breathe, especially during physical activity.”

“It’s such a shame because I was a natural athlete before the smoking. Could have gone to the Olympics.”

“That’s not the type of physical activity I was referring to…” Dani trailed off. She knew her comment was bound to elicit a reaction, but she was determined to find a health consequence Jamie would care about.

Jamie’s gait faltered as she glanced over in surprise. “Poppins, are you worried about my sexual stamina?”

Dani tried to mask her flustered reaction to the question with a shrug. “You’re the one who should be worried. It doesn’t make a difference to me.”

“Well, before you make any misguided assumptions, let me assure you that my lungs are just fine. I’m able to do what I want, for as long as I want, without getting winded.”

“For now,” Dani said with a dismissive nod as if she wasn’t convinced. “Give it another five, ten years of smoking and then see how good those lungs are. You’re still young, so you have that unlimited energy to compensate.”

“Says the woman who’s only three years older than me,” Jamie shot back with a smirk.

“Three years older and not a smoker, so I don’t have anything to worry about. My stamina’s just fine.”

“Maybe we should test it out. See whose stamina is better,” Jamie challenged.

Dani really should have expected a comment like that, but it still caught her by surprise and caused her jaw to drop. She glanced over to see Jamie sporting a proud smirk, clearly quite pleased with herself.

“Oh, don’t give me that look,” Jamie chided, “You’re the one who brought up sex first.”

“Yeah because I thought that might be the only side effect of smoking you actually cared about,” Dani explained.

They both fell quiet, lost in their own thoughts for a moment until Jamie spoke up, “My money was on you, by the way. For the stamina thing. I just wanted to see for myself.”

Dani rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the amused smile that appeared on her face. “This is going to be a very long day if you keep saying stuff like that.” They hadn’t even arrived at their destination and Dani was already very affected by the flirtatious banter. She knew it would take all of her effort to try and maintain the boundaries between them.

“I don’t see anything wrong that,” Jamie countered, “It’ll make it feel like all the more time spent with you.”

The sweet comment immediately after such blatant flirting threw Dani for a loop. She shook her head to hide the bashful smile on her face, keeping her gaze focused on their destination up ahead.

“Wow, Jamie, this place is really beautiful,” Dani commented as the approached the trailhead, already getting a peek at the trees, bushes, and flowers that surrounded the pond.

“And this is just the car park, wait til we actually get started on the walk,” Jamie joked, earning a playful shove from Dani.

As they started their walk around the pond, a peaceful silence settled over them as Dani took in the sights and sounds around her. Jamie seemed perfectly content to enjoy their picturesque surroundings as well; although she frequently cast glances over at Dani to watch her reactions.

After the newness of the beautiful scenery around them began to fade, Dani found that she wanted to fill the silence between them. She had a nearly overwhelming urge to know more about the woman beside her.

“So how did you find this place?” Dani asked as she glanced over at Jamie.

“Well, it’s not exactly hidden,” Jamie pointed out with a teasing smile. “But the first time I came here was maybe five or six years ago, I guess. One of my mates and I came here for a walk and to smoke the cigarettes we’d stolen off our parents. His family used to bring him and his sisters here on picnics and walks or whatever else happy families do in pretty places like this.”

Dani picked up on the comment about happy families. From what she’d heard from Jamie about her family, she didn’t come from the best home environment. She was interested in learning more about the young woman’s background, but didn’t want to pry. “I take it your family didn’t go on a lot of picnics?” She asked gently as she looked at Jamie to gauge her reaction to the question.

Jamie shifted and adopted an almost guarded expression. “Not many picnics in the Taylor family, no,” she agreed, but didn’t say anything else.

“I didn’t exactly have the best home life growing up either,” Dani said softly, still cautious as to not upset the other woman. “If you ever wanted to talk about it sometime, I’m a really great listener.”

Jamie looked over and seemed to relax her guarded posture the slightest bit. “Thanks Poppins. Though I think it’s pretty taboo to get into fucked up family history before the fourth or fifth date.”

Dani rolled her eyes at the teasing comment, but she wasn’t all that surprised that Jamie was deflecting with a flirtatious joke. “So, friends can’t talk about their families?” She challenged as she focused her gaze on the path up ahead.

“They can,” Jamie agreed after a moment. “But I’m still hoping that we don’t have to settle for just being friends. And if I do ever have a chance of being more, I don’t want to scare you off with my shitty childhood.”

Dani felt her heart ache at the slightly bitter and self-deprecating comment delivered in such an earnest manner. Driven by an overwhelming urge to comfort Jamie, she found herself replying before she even had a chance to think through her response. “You won’t scare me off.”

Jamie quickly glanced over with a hopeful expression, “Yeah?”

Dani stopped short as her comment fully hit her and she realized how it was likely interpreted. “I mean…I was just trying to…I only meant that nothing you could tell me about your past could scare me. I’m a teacher, I’ve seen and heard a lot of really heartbreaking and awful things. And while it’s never easy to hear, it doesn’t change how I feel about the person. So, I was just trying to say that I don’t scare easily. That’s all I meant. I wasn’t trying to say anything more than that.”

“Relax,” Jamie said as she reached over to rest a reassuring hand on the frazzled woman’s arm. “I get what you’re saying. It’s my fault for reading into it too much.” Jamie gave her a smile before turning back to continue their stroll. “Although you do have an annoying habit of saying awfully misleading things…”

Dani picked up her pace until she fell back in step with Jamie. “Bad habit, I guess,” she replied, although judging from the hum she got in reply, Jamie didn’t seem entirely convinced that’s all it was. Dani glanced around at their surroundings looking for something, anything that would spark a safer topic of conversation. “What’s your favorite flower?” She asked as her gaze settled on a patch of daisies blooming off to the side of the path.

“What?” Jamie asked as she glanced over with a deep furrow in her brow.

“Your favorite flower, what is it?” Dani repeated.

“Why, you looking to get me a gift?” Jamie challenged as her confusion eased and was replaced by a look of amusement.

“No,” Dani replied and suddenly realized that of all the things she could of have asked about, favorite flower had a hint of romance to it. “I was just wondering. Trying to make conversation that’s a little less dramatic than family history.”

Jamie nodded and was silent as she considered it, “I don’t know much about flowers, honestly.” She admitted, “I like the way they look and all, I’ve just never given it much thought. No one to buy them for, no one to get them from. And I don’t know if you recall, but the garden outside my house is more weeds and dirt than actual grass and plants. No use trying to do anything with it when the neighborhood kids just trample through and throw their trash everywhere.”

Dani listened to the explanation and couldn’t help the little feeling of joy when Jamie remarked she had no one to buy flowers for or get them from, which certainly seemed to indicate that she was single.

“I don’t know very much about flowers either. I always thought sunflowers were my favorite, but then I realized that was just because it’s what Eddie always bought me. We were together for a really long time and sometimes he got me roses and lilies and stuff too, but whenever he gave me sunflowers he’d get all excited because they were my favorite. But honestly, I don’t remember ever saying that and I don’t know if they are.”

“Where’d he get the idea they were your favorite then?” Jamie asked, her expression seeming to be intentionally blank as if she was trying to hide her real reaction to something Dani had said.

“I have no idea!” Dani said with a chuckle, “Maybe we walked by some one time and I said that I liked them or thought they were beautiful, because they are. But I definitely wouldn’t say they’re my favorite. Though I honestly don’t know what is.”

“So, uh, did you ditch that boyfriend over the flowers then?” Jamie asked. Her tone was teasing, but her expression conveyed her genuine interest in the answer.

“No,” Dani said with a playful roll of her eyes. She paused as she considered what to say next. Truthfully, she didn’t like to talk much about Eddie as it brought up her own feelings of guilt for breaking his heart and leaving the way she did. But she was the one who brought up the topic in the first place by mentioning him, so she figured she could give more of an answer to satisfy Jamie’s curiosity. “I ended things because he deserved a lot better.”

“Better than you?” Jamie asked, her incredulous expression matching her tone. “Not possible. You’re just setting the boy up for disappointment.”

Dani laughed and nudged her shoulder against Jamie’s. However, once the comment really registered, her smile faded. “He would probably agree with you,” she admitted quietly. “I don’t think it’s true and I know he’ll find someone else…but he wasn’t very happy that I ended things.” She thought back to their call, which was now well over a month ago. A thought struck her which quirked her lips into a tiny smile at the memory. “The day you and I met actually…he’d called me at school. It was the first time we spoke since I moved to England, hence the little breakdown you witnessed outside.”

“So that’s what that was,” Jamie said as she nodded in understanding. “I just assumed the kids were being little shits, which would also have been understandable.” Jamie smiled as her comment elicited a laugh from Dani. “He just called you at school in the middle of the day to make you cry?”

“He wasn’t…I mean, he was angry, yes, but he had every right to be. I didn’t have my own phone at the time, so he didn’t know how else to reach me. But I don’t blame him for being upset with me.”

“No one should ever want to make someone they love cry, no matter how upset they are,” Jamie said gently. “Does he do that often?”

Dani’s heart warmed at Jamie’s words and she couldn’t help but agree. She shook her head in response to the question, “I haven’t talked to him since that day. I think he has my home number now, but he hasn’t called.”

“Do you want him to?” Jamie asked, clearly picking up on the wistful tone reflected in Dani’s last comment.

“I…I don’t know,” Dani admitted, “More than anything, I just want him to be happy. He was my best friend since we were kids. We did everything together for years. We were…engaged actually. He proposed a few months before I left and I said yes. And then I just ran away and I know it hurt him so much. So, yeah…I just want him to be happy. He deserves to be happy.”

“And you couldn’t make him happy?” Jamie queried gently. Her tone betrayed her curiosity for the reason behind why Dani was so sure of that, but it was also soft enough to let Dani know she wasn’t prying for information.

Dani shook her head and watched as Jamie gave a nod of understanding, but made no attempt to push her to share more. That simple sign of respect was enough to convince Dani that maybe it was okay to be honest with Jamie. “During our last phone call, I told him I was gay,” Dani admitted quietly, still nervous to say the words out loud. “It was the first time I’d ever admitted that to anyone, even myself. He just kept getting so angry and asking why I was so sure I couldn’t be with him…and the words just came out.” She cautiously risked a glance over at the woman. She was relieved to see that Jamie wasn’t wearing her usual smug smirk, but was just giving her full attention to Dani, listening without judgment.

“How did he take the news?”

Dani huffed and shook her head. “Not well. He got even more upset about how people back home are going to make fun of him because not only did I run away, but I also like women. He was getting pretty mean, actually, which is not like him and something I don’t tolerate. So, I told him as much and ended the call. I haven’t heard anything from him since.”

“I’m sorry things turned out like that,” Jamie said with a sympathetic look before directing her gaze back towards the path. “Though I guess that just goes to show you that men really aren’t worth it.”

Dani let out a laugh, grateful for the bit of humor to ease the heaviness of the conversation. They moved on to lighter topics as they continued their trip around the pond. Although they’d maintained a slow pace during their walk, Dani found that they’d completed their loop and arrived back at the parking lot much sooner than she would have liked. If she were to look at the time, she was sure at least an hour had passed, if not two, but she found herself reluctant to say goodbye.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty hungry. Fancy joining me at a pub for some dinner?” Jamie asked, her expression a mix of nervous and hopeful as she looked over at Dani.

Excitement swelled in Dani’s chest as she was given a reason to not have to part ways quite yet. “That sounds good,” she agreed, trying not to look as eager as she felt. However, Jamie made no attempt to hide her excited smile as she gave a little nod and began to lead the way back towards the shops they had passed by on their way from the bus station.

Although Dani was still cautious about not doing anything that appeared date-like, she figured dinner, or lunch as she would call it, was a relatively safe meal to share as the sun was still out. Friends grabbed lunch all the time, but people rarely went out to lunch on a date.

Once the pair was settled at a table in a relatively quiet corner of the pub, Dani began to peruse the menu. As she looked over the drink list a thought occurred to her and she let out a startled gasp. “Oh, I didn’t bring my passport. Do you think they’ll accept my Iowa driver’s license as a form of ID?”

Jamie smirked at the concern on Dani’s face, “I don’t think you have to worry so much about being carded. You look over 18. The English are much less concerned about age than Americans.”

“Okay,” Dani said as she dropped her gaze back to the menu. Jamie’s comment replayed in her head and she wondered if the age comment had been a jab at her own preoccupation with their ages.

“I wouldn’t mind seeing what an Iowa driver’s license looks like though. Never seen any sort of driver’s license from America,” Jamie said as she glanced up from her own menu.

“It’s not that exciting. I’m sure it’s pretty similar to what you all have here,” Dani explained, but still reached into her wallet to pull out her old license.

Jamie’s face lit up as she took the card and a smirk slid slowly across her face as she looked at it. “Danielle, is it?”

Dani glanced up as she realized that she’d never told Jamie her first name but she had cleverly devised a way to find out.

“Dani, actually,” she corrected with a huff as she snatched her ID back and tucked it into her wallet.

“Dani,” Jamie repeated as if testing the name out. “I still like Poppins, but I wouldn’t mind throwing in a Dani every now and then.”

The blonde shook her head as if annoyed by Jamie’s antics, though truthfully she was trying not to show how affected she was from the way her name sounded coming from Jamie.

“The age checked out too,” Jamie continued with a little smirk, “And it’s ridiculously unfair how good you look in that photo. I thought it was just a rule that everyone looked horrible in those.”

Dani couldn’t help but smile at the compliment. “Let me see yours,” she challenged as she held out her hand.

Jamie eyed her for a moment before reaching into her pocket to grab her wallet. “Fine, but it’s rude to laugh at my photo, just so you know.”

Dani took hold of the card and felt a wide grin stretch across her face. Whereas she’d renewed her license when she turned 21 and gotten a new photo, Jamie’s ID still held her very first driver’s license picture from when she was 15 or 16. She didn’t look all that different, just younger and a little angrier as she glared into the camera as if it was a mugshot. “Aww you look so cute!”

“Yeah, ‘cute’ isn’t what I was going for,” Jamie announced as she took the ID back. “Careful, you’re awfully close to laughing and I already warned you that it’s rude.”

“I’m not going to laugh!” Dani protested, although her bright smile betrayed her amusement.

“Well, now you’ve seen it. And you’ve seen that my age checks out too, so no need to ever see it again.”

A blush tinged Dani’s cheeks because she had, in fact, checked the age to make sure Jamie was 19 as she had claimed. “I wasn’t looking for that,” she said even though she knew her flushed cheeks gave her away.

“Sure you weren’t,” Jamie replied with a wink that caused Dani’s heart to beat at a rapid rate.

Fortunately, the server chose that moment to stop to take their order, sparing Dani from having to think of a response or hide her reaction to the wink.

After the server left, Dani decided a change of topic was needed. “How’s school going?”

Jamie’s smile dropped and she leaned back in her chair with a sigh. “Oh Poppins, we were doing so well.”

“Pardon?” Dani asked, not sure what she meant.

“We haven’t had any awkward reminders of school until you decided to bring it up just now,” Jamie pointed out.

Dani realized that school or anything related to it hadn’t come up over the course of their walk. “It’s not bad to talk about school,” she pointed out, “It’s a part of both our lives. If we’re friends, it’s going to come up.”

“Yeah, but every time it comes up, you tend to go and make it weird.”

“I do not,” Dani protested with a gasp, although if she were to think back on it, she knew there was likely a lot of truth in Jamie’s observation. “I was just wondering how it was going. I don’t know much about sixth form, but you get to choose your A levels, right? That’s pretty cool.”

Jamie nodded, though she still looked unhappy about the choice of topic. “School’s going alright, I suppose.”

“What A levels are you taking?” Dani pressed, curious to see what subjects were of interest to Jamie.

“I already told you I don’t give a shite about school, right?” Jamie reminded her, “I’m not planning on going to university, so it doesn’t matter what A levels I take. I just enroll in whichever ones are considered the easiest or have the least amount of work.”

Dani furrowed her brow, “I know you told me you only stayed to do sixth form because of Mikey, but since you’re going to classes and doing the work, don’t you want to enroll in subjects you care about?”

“I would, if those existed,” Jamie replied. “Haven’t yet seen A levels on drinking, new wave bands, or women, but when I do, you can bet I’ll be the first one enrolled.”

An amused chuckle escaped Dani but she shook her head in disbelief. “Are you at least taking any A levels that will help prepare you for whatever job you want after you finish sixth form?”

“That would probably require me to know what I want to do, and I don’t so…I guess the answer to that is no.”

“You don’t know what you want to do?” Dani asked, getting a shake of Jamie’s head in response. “So, after you finish sixth form you’re going to…”

“Get any job I can, I suppose,” Jamie said with a shrug. “Haven’t put much thought into it.”

The thought of Jamie just taking any job and not caring about it didn’t sit right with Dani. She continued to puzzle over whether or not to let the topic drop, since Jamie seemed to have very little interest in it. Their server stopped by to drop off their pints and Dani took a sip before deciding to go ahead and say what was on her mind.

“I think you’re letting yourself down. You have a lot of potential and you deserve to find a job you really love.”

“Do I now?” Jamie asked, an eyebrow quirking up as she set down her glass. “And what exactly makes you think I have potential?” Her tone made it clear that she wasn’t arguing with Dani, simply interested in what caused her to arrive at that conclusion.

“You’re really smart, Jamie. And I know you’re not interested in school, but that doesn’t mean you’re not smart. You care a lot, about certain things anyway, like Mikey. You have a kind heart even if you don’t want to show it. You’re a good person, Jamie. You deserve to be happy.” Dani let the words flow freely, determined to convince Jamie that figuring out what she wanted to do after sixth form was worth the effort.

Jamie had initially looked surprised while Dani was talking before a neutral expression settled over her features while she considered what Dani had said. After a moment, she leaned forward, “Some might say I’m pretty persistent too. When I’m interested in something, which doesn’t happen all that often, I tend to give it my all. Really go after it.”

Dani could tell exactly what Jamie was referring to and the thought made her feel warm all over. It wasn’t the first time Jamie had made it clear she was pursuing her, but it never failed to spark a reaction. “That too,” she agreed before lifting her pint glass to her lips.

A smile tugged at Jamie’s lips as she settled back in her seat. “If it makes you happy, I’ll put some thought into it. Try to figure out what it is I actually want to do with my life.”

“Thank you,” Dani said with a small smile. “I meant what I said. You deserve to be happy, Jamie.”

“Believe me, I’m trying,” Jamie shot back with a smirk that caused Dani to laugh.

Dani knew that was the sort of thinly veiled comment she should be ignoring and not encouraging, but she couldn’t help herself. Their food arrived and conversation switched back to lighter topics. As they were making their way back to the bus station, Dani found that she still wished she had more time to spend with Jamie. However, she was proud of herself for not crossing any major boundaries over the several hours they’d already spent together. She was worried about pushing her luck by trying to stall for more time.

As they walked into the station, Jamie’s hand brushed gently against Dani’s, causing a shiver to run up Dani’s spine at the subtle contact. She hoped that her reaction wasn’t noticeable, or else attributable to the slight chill in the air. Thinking about the decreasing temperature reminded Dani of a secondary purpose to the day’s meeting that she’d completely forgotten about.

“Oh crap, your jacket!”

Jamie looked over, both startled and confused by the sudden outburst.

“I was supposed to bring your jacket so I could return it, but I forgot it at home. I’m so sorry, Jamie.”

“Relax, Poppins, it just gives us another chance to hang out again,” Jamie said with a relaxed smile. “Though we might want to go ahead and plan something now. Save you the trouble of tracking me down at school and getting my hopes up by dragging me to your empty classroom.”

Dani flashed back to how disappointed Jamie had looked that afternoon in her classroom when she realized Dani just wanted to talk. “Yeah, we better save you from your unrealistic fantasies,” she teased, although she could still vividly remember how flustered she had gotten from the way Jamie pressed behind her to look over her shoulder at the map, her hand resting gently on Dani’s hip.

“Perhaps unrealistic,” Jamie agreed, “But enjoyable nevertheless,” she added with a flirty wink.

Dani’s mind began to race as she wondered what kinds of fantasies Jamie entertained in her spare time. Although she knew she shouldn’t want to know the answer, she found that she was incredibly curious. She wondered if they matched any of the thoughts and daydreams that Dani had, but quickly stopped whenever she realized where her mind was wandering.

“So, let’s figure out a time to meet so I can get you that jacket,” Dani announced, trying to clear her thoughts. “I know you head home after school with Mikey, so weekdays probably aren’t a good choice. Maybe we can plan to meet up next weekend?”

“That works for me,” Jamie agreed with a nod. “And do I have to think of more places that you consider safe to meet up? Or do you finally trust me enough to let me just come over so we can hang out like adults who don’t need to be chaperoned by strangers?”

Dani’s eyebrows lifted in surprise at the unexpected question. “I, uh, I’m not sure,” she admitted. She knew it would be safer to have another public meetup. But Jamie had a point, it was a little ridiculous to need strangers around to ensure they acted appropriately. If Dani were being completely honest, it wasn’t Jamie she was worried about, it was herself.

“Maybe you can think on it and let me know?” Jamie offered. She paused for a moment, as if considering her next words before she nervously met Dani’s gaze, “You could always give me your number. I could call and check in one evening this week to see if you’ve made up your mind? Might be a little easier than trying to track you down at school.”

The sight of Jamie looking so nervous to ask for her number was too sweet and adorable for Dani to resist. It probably wasn’t a great idea, but it was just her phone number. The fact that they were meeting up on a regular basis to spend time together was cause for more concern than Jamie maybe calling her once in a while.

“Okay, do you have a pen?”

Jamie’s eyes widened in surprise before she gave a short nod and patted her pockets, “Hold on,” she instructed before heading over to the small convenience store in the station. Dani watched in amusement as Jamie conferred with the cashier, her gestures becoming mildly frantic before she turned with a triumphant smile and walked back with a pen and slip of paper in her hand.

Dani took the items from Jamie and wrote down her number. “I didn’t put my name in case this happens to get in the wrong hands,” she explained as she handed the pen and paper back. “So try not to get it mixed up with any other numbers you may have laying around.” Dani wasn’t sure what prompted the comment, perhaps her lingering amusement at how excited and eager Jamie had seemed to get her number. It was flattering, to say the least.

“Are you kidding? I’m sure I’ll have it memorized before I even get home,” Jamie muttered, seemingly more to herself than to Dani as she stared down at the phone number.

Dani chuckled and glanced over at the schedule on the wall and then over at the clock. “My bus should be here any minute,” she explained as she returned her attention to Jamie. “But I guess I’ll see you around? Or hear from you, at least.”

Jamie nodded as she looked up from the paper still clutched in her hand. “Yeah, I’ll see you. And I’ll give you a ring sometime this week.”

Dani nodded, her gaze dropping down to the paper with her number. “I’m trusting you with that, by the way. Don’t make me regret it.”

“Never,” Jamie promised, watching as Dani began head towards her bus terminal. “Bye Poppins.”

Dani glanced over her shoulder with a smile that reflected her good mood, “Goodbye Jamie.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a totally normal platonic hang out between friends, right? 
> 
> The next chapter is nearly 7000 words and I really think you'll like it. Or hate it. Probably both. But I feel like I'm doing something right if you simultaneously love it and hate it. 
> 
> THANK YOU to everyone who commented or left kudos on the last chapter! I know I've said it before, but I absolutely love reading your comments. They make me so happy and incredibly inspired to keep writing when I know that you all are enjoying this story. Also, sometimes your comments and ideas give me inspiration for chapters and then I sit down and write 3000+ words based off an idea sparked from a comment.


	10. Chapter 10

“You should see the color the Henderson’s just painted their house. It’s an absurd shade of yellow! I always knew they were tacky, but I didn’t think they’d display it so boldly,” Karen said with an amused snort.

“I thought you liked the Hendersons,” Dani said as she rested her elbow heavily on the table to support the phone against her ear. They were only ten minutes into the conversation and Dani was already more than ready for the call to end.

“That was before Donna made that comment at the 4th of July barbecue,” Karen scoffed. “She had the gall to come up and suggest I switch to water. Can you believe that? In front of all our neighbors.”

Although Dani hadn’t been at the party, she was sure Donna probably had a good reason for making the request. Her mother had embarrassed Dani at parties and events with her drinking for years. “I’m sorry that happened, she shouldn’t have said that,” Dani replied, knowing Karen wouldn’t respond well to anything other than her daughter taking her side. “So, what else is new around town?”

“Well, everyone’s getting ready for Halloween. I already bought the candy for the trick-or-treaters. I know how much you always loved helping pass out candy.”

Dani smiled as she reflected on her memories of Halloween. “You’ll have to tell me the best costumes of the night. I’m gonna miss seeing the neighborhood kids all dressed up.”

“Do they even celebrate Halloween in England?” Karen asked, her tone taking on a bitter edge the way it always did when she referenced where her daughter had run off to.

“Yeah, they do,” Dani replied defensively, even though she hadn’t been sure of that until she’d heard some of the other teachers talking about it in the hall a few weeks ago. “They don’t do as much with decorations in stores and in front of houses, but kids still get dressed up and go trick-or-treating. And adults still have Halloween parties.” She smiled as she thought about the Halloween party Owen was hosting in a couple of weeks that she’d been invited to attend.

“Well, that’s nice,” Karen sniffed dismissively. “Anyway, I’m sure the kids will miss seeing you. A lot of people are still asking about you, Danielle. Wondering when you’ll be back and I just have no idea what to say to them.”

Dani rolled her eyes as the conversation turned to the part she’d come to expect in every discussion she had with her mother. “I’ve told you Mom, you can just tell everyone that I’m living here now. I have a job, I have an apartment, and some really good friends. I’m doing great out here.”

“And you’re just going to stay there forever?” Karen asked incredulously. “Even though you have a whole life here in Iowa.”

“I don’t know about forever,” Dani answered honestly, since she couldn’t say where she’d be in ten years, or even five. “But I’m really happy here. I don’t have any plans to leave.”

The usual tense silence that followed this discussion hung heavily on the line, only this time her phone lit up to indicate she had a call waiting. “Oh, hold on, Mom. I’m getting another call.”

“Do you think it’s Eddie?” Karen asked hopefully. “I gave him your new number, you know. I hope that was okay.”

Dani wasn’t surprised that her mother had given him her number. She also knew her mother’s last comment didn’t reflect any actual concern or guilt over her actions. “That’s fine,” Dani replied, “But I doubt it’s him, it has to be nearly…one in the morning there, right?”

“I guess it is,” Karen replied, “Anyway, I’ll let you take the other call. I should be heading to bed. Goodnight, Dani.”

“Goodnight Mom,” Dani replied, knowing that her mother was likely off to have another drink or two before bed. She switched to answer the other line, glad she’d gotten a phone with call waiting capability as it served as a lovely way to end her miserable conversations with her mother.

“Hello?” Dani said as she answered the other call.

“Hey Poppins, hope this isn’t a bad time?”

Dani couldn’t help but smile as she recognized the voice on the other end of the line. It was certainly a very different and welcome change from her conversation with her mother. “I was wondering if you were ever going to use that number I gave you.”

Jamie chuckled at the teasing, and mildly flirtatious, comment. “Just working up to it, I guess,” she responded and hesitated for a moment before continuing, “I was wondering if you decided where you want to meet this weekend?”

Dani bit her lip as she thought about the question. She hadn’t given it a whole lot of thought since Sunday, although now she was wondering if that was because she’d already made up her mind. “Yeah, I think it’s okay. If you come over, I mean. We’re both adults, we can respect boundaries without other people around.”

Jamie exhaled and Dani could practically hear her smile through the phone. “We can definitely do that,” Jamie agreed. “So, what time do you want me?”

Dani felt her stomach flip at the question. It had sounded innocent enough, but without the benefit of seeing whether Jamie was smirking or not, she couldn’t be sure. “I was thinking maybe Friday? You could come over in the afternoon. I know you usually take the bus home with Mikey, but maybe he could have a friend go with him? Or you could go with him and come back?” Although Saturday would have been an easier option logistically, it was already Wednesday and Dani was growing impatient to spend time with Jamie again.

“I’m sure he can work something out,” Jamie agreed. “So, I’ll see you Friday then? Do you want me to head over at a particular time?”

“Anytime is fine,” Dani answered. “I mean, we probably shouldn’t walk over together…but I’ll head home right after school so you’re welcome to drop by whenever. Do you need my address?”

“I still remember from when I dropped you off,” Jamie reassured her. “Though I don’t know which flat is yours.”

“It’s number 10, on the second floor,” Dani answered, her excitement growing as she thought about Jamie being here in her apartment with her.

“Right, and is that an American second floor or an English one?”

Dani closed her eyes as an embarrassed smile spread across her face. “American.”

“So, the first floor then,” Jamie replied, her amusement clear in her voice. “I’ll see you Friday then, Poppins.”

“Yeah, see you then,” Dani said before hanging up the phone. She knew she looked like a giddy schoolgirl with a crush in that moment, because she _felt_ like a giddy schoolgirl with a crush. She shook her head to try to get control over her emotions as she stood up to walk to the bathroom to wash her face. Somehow, she needed to get a much better grip on her self-control in the two days before Jamie arrived. It seemed possible…though perhaps not very probable.

* * *

Fortunately, the next two days seemed to fly by. Dani figured it was because she was constantly lost in her thoughts about having Jamie over and then automatically trying to correct herself by focusing very intently on just about anything else.

As soon as the final bell rang on Friday, Dani collected her things and hurried home. She wasn’t sure when Jamie would be arriving, so she tore through her flat, tidying up even though she had already done a very thorough clean the day before. She changed out of her work clothes into jeans and a soft sweater; she wasn’t trying to impress anyone with her clothes, but she wanted to be a little more comfortable and look a little less professional.

While she anxiously waited for her guest to arrive, she fixed her makeup and then her hair. A knock on the door cut through the silence of her flat and she dropped her hairbrush in surprise before quickly picking it back up and placing it back on her dresser.

Dani took a deep breath to calm her suddenly racing heart as she made her way to the front door. She wasn’t exactly surprised to see that Jamie’s confident smirk was already in place as soon as she opened the door.

“Hey Poppins,” Jamie greeted as her gaze drifted over Dani.

“Hey,” Dani returned the greeting as she stepped aside to allow Jamie to enter.

“Nice place you got here,” Jamie commented as she glanced around the small flat, taking in every detail.

“Thanks,” Dani replied with a smile as she swept her gaze around. It wasn’t much, but she did what she could with the tiny space. It was the first place that was truly hers and she took a lot of pride in making it feel like a home.

There was a brief silence as Jamie continued to make her way around the flat. Dani wasn’t sure what to say or do as the reality of Jamie being in her place was still making her head spin. She tried to think of any topic of conversation that could be friendly and far from dangerous. “Did Mikey make it on the bus okay?”

Jamie nodded as she leaned against the back of the couch. “Yeah, I had to watch from a distance though. He’s made some new friends at school, one of which is a girl who takes the same bus as us. He says I’m not allowed to walk him to the bus anymore because it’s ‘embarrassing’,” Jamie playfully rolled her eyes, though a smile tugged at her lips. “It seems like overnight he’s gone from being a sweet kid to an asshole teenager even though he’s only eleven.”

“That’ll happen,” Dani said with a nod. “But it’s good he’s making new friends, right? Is he still getting bullied?”

“Doesn’t seem to be as bad as it was,” Jamie replied, “He’s not worried about leaving school when the bell rings anymore. He has his group of friends and he seems to be adjusting pretty well, actually.”

Dani shared a relieved smile with Jamie, “I’m glad to hear that.”

Jamie gave a little nod of agreement before her tone shifted and her smirk re-appeared. “I hope you didn’t just bring me here to talk about Mikey. The little shit’s already been getting on my nerves with his new attitude problem. I don’t think I could take it if the only reason you invited me here was to check up on him.”

Dani rolled her eyes at the teasing comment. “Oh yeah, you figured me out,” she joked back. “What do you want to talk about then?”

“You really leaving that up to me?” Jamie challenged, “For starters, I’d like to talk about how good you look right now. It doesn’t seem fair that someone can make a sweater look that attractive.”

A playful groan escaped Dani as she dropped her head, although the reaction was partially strategic so Jamie couldn’t see the smile that spread across her face. Once she cleared all evidence of her amusement, she glanced up again, her gaze trailing over Jamie. She wanted to make a teasing jab about her outfit to try to switch gears from flirty to friendly. However, as she took in the school uniform, she was left with a very unpleasant reminder that Jamie was a student and really shouldn’t be in her flat right now.

“Do you want to change?” Dani blurted out. She knew the question was sudden and more than a little odd, but she didn’t think she’d be able to relax and enjoy the evening with Jamie in her uniform all night.

“Trying to get me out of my clothes already?” Jamie asked, her usual smirk seeming even more smug if possible.

Dani felt her body temperature shoot up a few degrees as she tried very hard not to picture helping Jamie out of her clothes. “I just figured you’d be more comfortable in something else.”

Jamie glanced down at her uniform and then back up at Dani with a look of realization. She gave Dani a little smile as if to say she understood that Dani’s request wasn’t for Jamie’s comfort as much as her own. “I mean if you’re offering, I wouldn’t mind changing out of this god-awful uniform. I never did much care for wearing a skirt every day.”

Dani nodded and headed back to her bedroom to grab some clothes. She tracked down a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt before returning to the living room.

“You know…” Jamie started as she accepted the clothes from Dani. “A lot of people really dig the school uniform thing. Shame that it doesn’t have the same effect on you.”

Dani could feel her cheeks flush as she caught the cheeky smile on Jamie’s face. “Go change!” She demanded as she gave Jamie a shove towards the bathroom. Despite her suddenly flustered state, she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face as Jamie laughed at her own joke.

While Jamie was busy changing her clothes, Dani went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. It was mostly an attempt to give her something to do to avoid thinking about the very attractive woman currently undressing in her apartment. She tried not to picture what was happening just beyond the closed door of her bathroom and quickly gulped down half the glass of water to try to cool her heated thoughts and flushed cheeks. Jamie had only just arrived and if Dani was to make it through the evening, she needed to get much better control over herself.

After refilling her glass, Dani got a second glass of water for her guest and headed to the living room to wait. She settled on the far end of the couch, tucking a throw pillow against her side, knowing that a physical barrier would be very much needed if Jamie were to sit too close.

A minute later, Jamie joined her in the living room and tucked her uniform into her backpack before stashing them both out of sight. Dani was appreciative of the effort she made to help them avoid reminders of her status as a student, but was even more appreciative of the sight of Jamie wearing her clothes. She wasn’t sure if it was just how good Jamie looked in casual, comfortable clothes or if it was because they were _her_ clothes, but Dani couldn’t keep her eyes off her. She forced her gaze away by the time Jamie finished stashing her backpack and came over to join her on the couch.

“I have to say, I could get used to wearing your clothes, Poppins,” Jamie announced as she leaned back against the cushions on the opposite side of the couch.

“Is that so?” Dani asked, nearly biting her tongue to hold in her comment about how good Jamie looked in the borrowed clothes.

“It would have been better if we’d been partaking in the usual activities that typically lead to someone borrowing clothes…but we can always work up to that.”

Dani reached for her water and took a long sip before letting out a slightly nervous laugh to cover her flustered reaction, “Didn’t you say something about being on your best behavior when we hang out? Whatever happened to that promise?”

Jamie gave a little shrug, not looking apologetic in the least. “I think we both like it better when I’m not on my best behavior.”

The intensity of the look Jamie was giving her made Dani’s heart began to race. The tension in the air was nearly palpable and Dani could tell that this had all the makings of “a moment”. If she were to continue holding Jamie’s gaze, not correcting her assumption or making any attempt to change topics, it would only be a matter of time before Jamie made a move. Part of Dani longed to just continue sitting on the couch, holding her gaze, and not making any attempt to stop her if she moved closer.

The idea of having her first kiss not just with Jamie, but with any woman caused Dani’s stomach to flip – partly in excitement and partly with fear. She wondered if it would be different than kissing Eddie and the handful of other boys she’d exchanged kisses with in her lifetime. It had never been all that enjoyable, but maybe she’d been doing it wrong. Maybe she was a bad kisser. The thought was alarming and she realized she had no way to know for sure because she doubted Eddie would be receptive to the idea of giving her feedback on the matter.

Panic began to rise in Dani’s chest as she became consumed with dread over the idea of hating her first kiss with a woman or being bad at it. The thought was enough to take her out of the current moment and she quickly stood up. “I have, uh, snacks. And I can make some tea,” she rambled on as she hurriedly made her way into the kitchen.

Dani could tell Jamie was frustrated over her preventing yet another moment between them because the other woman didn’t say anything as Dani began rummaging around her kitchen. It took nearly a full minute before Jamie joined her, neutral expression in place as she leaned against the counter.

“I’ve been putting some thought into what I want to do with my life,” Jamie said as she watched Dani setting the kettle on the stove.

“Oh yeah?” Dani asked, grateful for the introduction of a new topic of conversation. She cast a glance over at Jamie and was relieved there was no trace of a smirk on her face, indicating that she wasn’t attempting to turn this into an attempt to flirt. “That’s great. How’s it been going?”

“Pretty good, actually,” Jamie admitted. “It was tough at first to come up with ideas. There are things I can’t do without a university degree and there’s no way in hell I’m taking out loans and putting up with that shit for three years. Then I got to thinking about the things I’m qualified to do and what sorts of jobs my friends and family have. Honestly, that was a dead end as well. Most people I know fucking hate their job, which wasn’t too reassuring.”

Dani was listening intently to Jamie as she flitted around the small kitchen, putting together a plate of food to give her something to distract from her earlier thoughts. Fortunately, she found that listening to Jamie was a great distraction all on its own and she was completely caught up in hearing about Jamie’s path to discovering her interests.

“I have to admit, I was starting to feel a bit hopeless for a while. I know I promised you I’d find something I was interested in, but it seemed like a lost cause. The plan to just take any job that would have me and work until I die or retire or whatever, that seemed like it was going to be my lot in life. But then I sat down and started to think about what I would really want to do – if I’m working most of the day, every day, what would make me happy?”

Dani nodded along as she took a break to lean against the opposite counter, giving Jamie her full attention.

“And I knew I couldn’t do an office job. I’d go out of my mind stuck behind a desk for eight hours. Or inside a shop. Anything indoors all day is just not for me, but that really narrowed things down. Working outside typically is a lot of manual labor, working with your hands. But I figured I could be good at that. Keeps me busy, keeps the mind distracted. And then I got to thinking about our walk the other day and I realized I’m at my happiest when I’m out in nature. I don’t know much about trees or flowers, but I love ‘em, you know? There’s something so peaceful about being outside and realizing that these plants are alive, and they grow and evolve and die like we do, but I could spend day in and day out surrounded by plants and never get sick of them. But people...yeah I reckon I’d tire of them pretty quick if I had to work side by side with them for 30 or 40 years.”

“You want to work with plants?” Dani summarized with a small smile.

“Yeah, I think I do,” Jamie said with a nod. “It’s going to be hard to get started since I would need to learn basically everything about taking care of plants…but I think it could be good.”

It was clear that Jamie was excited about this plan even though there was still quite a bit of work needed to get her where she wanted to be. But the sight of her looking optimistic while talking about her future caused a warmth to spread throughout Dani’s chest. “So you’re interested in being a gardener? Or a landscaper maybe?”

“Yeah, something along those lines. Maybe even working at a big park as maintenance to clean up the grounds or something. That might be an easier place to start and then I could move on from there once I learn more about it.” Jamie shrugged and looked at Dani, her expression turning worried as she tried to gauge Dani’s reaction. “I know it probably doesn’t sound like much to someone who went to university, but I think it could be good.”

“If it’s what you’re interested in, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks,” Dani agreed, not wanting Jamie to think she didn’t understand. As a teacher, Dani knew that not every student was cut out for university. All she cared about was that they found something that made them happy. And this path certainly seemed to be well-suited for Jamie.

Jamie nodded and dropped her gaze to the floor. “I know that other jobs could get me more money or have opportunities to get promotions and have better benefits or whatever. But that’s not important to me. I’d rather be happy and enjoy what I do.”

Dani nodded along but her expression turned puzzled as she took in Jamie’s tense posture. The brunette continued to look at the ground, not meeting her gaze.

“It’s not the type of career that most people would brag about. But I think it could be a good one. It won’t pay a lot, but it’ll be enough. Enough for a nice little life and I’d make sure I had enough to get everything I need, plus some for things I want. It may sound boring, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Sometimes simple and boring can be kinda nice. It can be enough.”

When Jamie finished, she lifted her gaze and Dani could see the concern and hesitation in her expression. It took Dani a moment to piece it together, but then it clicked that Jamie was afraid that she was judging her. That Jamie was afraid that her chosen career path wouldn’t be enough for someone like Dani; that she might want someone with a more prestigious job with better pay. She felt her heart squeeze tight in her chest as Jamie continued to look at her, her decision resolute but her expression reflecting so much apprehension.

Dani found herself desperate to give Jamie some sort of peace of mind. To reassure her that her description of a simple and somewhat boring life would be more than enough for someone like Dani. It didn’t matter how much money Jamie made as long as she was happy. But the only response floating through Dani’s head was ‘it’s more than enough’ and she knew she couldn’t say that; those words conveyed a promise for the future that she couldn’t allow herself to make.

The vulnerable look on Jamie’s face as she continued to anxiously wait for a response caused something to crack within Dani. A strange feeling of blissful silence settled over her as she took the couple of steps to close the distance between them. She watched as Jamie straightened up in surprise at the closeness, but before she could say anything that might put an end to Dani’s uncharacteristic mental clarity, Dani pressed closer and cupped Jamie’s face before she connected their lips.

The contact sent a thrill through Dani, but her mind was still blank except for the overwhelming desire to reassure Jamie that she was enough. That Jamie’s happiness was more important than status or job benefits or money.

After a moment, she felt Jamie’s lips move slowly against hers, returning the kiss. Dani began to relax, hoping the kiss was serving its intended purpose and chasing away all traces of Jamie’s concern. She could feel the delicate curve of Jamie’s jawline and her soft skin beneath her fingers and was struck by how very different this kiss was from any other she’d had. Kissing a woman was indeed very different; most noticeably the way the soft lips moving against her own sparked sensations inside of Dani that she didn’t know she could feel through a simple kiss.

Jamie’s hands drifted up to her waist, cautiously resting there for a moment before gently squeezing and drawing her closer. Dani didn’t protest and allowed herself to be pulled flush against the other woman. A sigh of contentment escaped her, parting her lips as she brushed Jamie’s lower lip with her own. She felt like there was a fire within her and she was desperate to feel more, to feel everything.

The shrill whistle of the tea kettle cut through the kitchen, causing Dani to pull away in her surprise at the unexpected sound.

“Oh,” she murmured as she turned and hurried over to the kettle to take it off the flame. The mental clarity and sense of calm had been broken by the loud whistle and Dani’s thoughts rushed back louder and more overwhelming than before. She couldn’t believe she had actually kissed Jamie, and not just a quick, brief peck either. For all the times she’d scolded Jamie for her flirtatious comments and pushing the boundaries, she’d been the one to go and completely disregard all boundaries without a moment of hesitation.

Panic began to rise up in Dani as she was faced with the reality that she had just kissed a student. And though a part of her was saying it wasn’t really a student, it was _Jamie_ , she knew it was wrong to play that game and draw those distinctions. Even though Jamie was somewhat of a friend as well as the person who was on her mind more often than not throughout the day, she was still a student and Dani was a teacher. She should know better.

Her movements were uncoordinated due to the rush of nerves and the overwhelming feeling of guilt. Hot water sloshed over the counter as she tried to pour it into the tea pot as neatly as she could. She cursed under her breath as she grabbed a dish towel to clean up the mess.

“Need some help with that?” Jamie asked as she came up behind her. One arm wrapped around Dani’s waist as Jamie gently took the towel to take over cleaning up the spilled water.

Dani closed her eyes at the intimate touch, which felt so right, but she knew it was so wrong. Even worse, she knew she was to blame for Jamie thinking such an action would be appropriate because just a moment ago Dani had pinned her to the counter and kissed her. Even though it was her fault for rushing past the barriers in the first place, she knew it was on her to try and salvage the boundaries between them and put them back in place.

“Jamie,” she said quietly, her tone as remorseful as her expression as she shifted out of the embrace.

“Dani, don’t,” Jamie replied before she could say anything else.

Dani’s stomach flipped at the way her name sounded coming from Jamie, but she tried to ignore it as she took a step back to allow for more space between them.

“I know you’re already freaking out and I doubt anything I say will convince you not to,” Jamie continued. “Believe me, I’d stand here all day and try to persuade you that what just happened was absolutely fine – better than fine even, wonderful and natural and perfectly appropriate, if I thought it would make a bit of difference. But I don’t think there’s a single thing I could say that would convince you to let us give that another go, yeah?”

Dani nodded in agreement. Even though her body was still reeling from the effects of the kiss, her mind was fully back in control of her actions and sending wave after wave of guilt and regret.

“That’s what I thought,” Jamie said with a sigh before fixing Dani with an imploring gaze. “So I’ll let it drop, but please don’t give a whole speech about it or try to tell yourself it was wrong. Because I think we both know nothing felt wrong about that.”

Dani couldn’t argue with her, but it didn’t stop her from trying, “But it _was_ wrong –”

Jamie held up a hand to cut her off before she could really get going. “I won’t bring it up if you don’t want me to, but please don’t say anything more about it. Anything bad, that is. Because I think it was just about the best damn moment of my life and it’s gonna crush me if you keep going on about how much you regret it.”

The pleading look on Jamie’s face was enough to convince Dani not to argue. She couldn’t deny she was flattered by what Jamie had said and also relieved that maybe she wasn’t such a bad kisser like she had feared. “Okay,” she agreed with a nod, figuring it might be safer if neither of them acknowledged it at all.

“Yeah?” Jamie asked before her expression relaxed into a pleased smile. “Alright, my last comment on the matter then, since we won’t be talking about it - try to let yourself just accept how you felt in the moment. If you felt even a fraction as much enjoyment from that as I did, there’s nothing at all to regret.”

Dani gave a very slight nod, not wanting to fully let herself off the hook for her actions, but she understood what Jamie was saying. She wanted to just remember how much she had enjoyed that moment without letting guilt or concern cloud the memory. She turned and began to busy herself with preparing the tea, hoping they could move on and talk about something, anything, else.

“How do you take your tea?” Dani asked as she began dumping spoonfuls of sugar into her empty cup before pouring in the milk.

“No offense, Poppins, but I don’t think I take it at all if that’s how you make it,” Jamie teased before gently waving her away from the tea set. “Let me handle this.”

Dani let out an embarrassed chuckle and stepped back. She was grateful for the joke as it allowed them to effortlessly switch topics and she returned her attention to putting together the snack plate. She added a few biscuits before carrying the plate over to the living room and setting it on the coffee table. Jamie joined her a moment later and Dani accepted the offered cup with a grateful smile.

“Okay, see, why doesn’t the tea turn out like this when I make it?” Dani asked after taking a small sip from her cup.

Jamie laughed as she settled into her spot on the couch. “There’s an art to it. There’s a proper way to make tea and a hell of a lot of wrong ways to make it. I’ll teach you sometime, if you’d like.”

“Thank you,” Dani said with a small smile before taking another sip. Learning how to make tea felt safe, like something friends would do, and she hoped they were actually starting to move past the event in the kitchen.

The next couple of hours passed by without mention of the kiss and without much flirting as Jamie seemed determined to not let Dani regret what had happened. Although Dani appreciated Jamie’s commitment to keeping things friendly, she found she missed the flirtatious jokes, the teasing comments, the winks, and Jamie’s typical smirk. She wondered if they would ever go back to that or if she’d permanently shifted their dynamic by kissing Jamie.

A little after 6, Jamie reluctantly got up, explaining that she needed to be heading home to get dinner started. Dani was sad to see her go and was tempted to invite her to stay, but she knew that there were other people counting on Jamie to be home. She watched as the brunette retrieved her uniform and went to go change. She dug her nails into the palm of her hand to fight the urge to follow her and resume what they had started in the kitchen.

“I feel like Cinderella,” Jamie commented as she emerged from the bathroom and handed Dani a neatly folded pile of the borrowed clothes.

“How so?” Dani asked with an amused smile as she set the clothes on the couch beside her. She hadn’t yet decided whether she wanted to throw them in her hamper or wear them as pajamas tonight, hoping the lingering scent of Jamie would lead to wonderful dreams.

“For a little while I got to dress up and play the part of something other than a fucking miserable student. I was having a damn good time too until I had to change back into my boring old self and go home to play housekeeper to some ungrateful family members.”

Dani gave her a sympathetic smile at the explanation. She could tell from Jamie’s expression she didn’t want any pity and an attempt to do so would only bring down her mood before she left. Instead, Dani decided to keep the mood light with a teasing comment. “I wouldn’t have guessed you to be a Cinderella fan. I thought that fairytale stuff would be too lame for someone like you.”

“What’s not to like? A woman with shit luck gets a fairy godmother and ends up scoring someone who most would consider out of her league. It’s an inspirational story if I’ve ever heard one. Kinda hoping my own fairy godmother makes an appearance to give me a little more luck with the whole bagging the dream woman part. I’m trying my hardest, but I think I need a bit more help.” Jamie’s grin was playful as she sent Dani a look that made it very clear just who she was trying to score.

Dani couldn’t help but laugh at the explanation. Perhaps it was due to her excitement at the return of Jamie’s flirtatiousness indicating that she hadn’t completely ruined their dynamic earlier. But she didn’t have it in her to scold Jamie for her comments. “Just don’t leave your shoe in my stairwell when you leave. I’m not going to make a trip out to your house to see if it fits.”

Jamie chuckled at the response and nodded her head. “Fine, I’ll take both shoes with me then. But maybe…I could leave my number? Just in case you ever need to reach me.”

Dani was surprised by the offer and took a moment to consider it. Jamie had her number, but it was different because Dani lived alone. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea. What if I were to call and Mikey answers? Or your dad?”

Jamie snorted and rolled her eyes, “That’d be a first,” she muttered and shook her head. “When my dad’s actually home, he’s usually too lazy to get out of his chair to answer the phone. And Mikey’s glued to the TV. The phone could ring for twenty minutes before he even noticed it. Even if they did answer, you could always hang up if you hear a voice that’s not mine.”

Dani drew her bottom lip between her teeth as she thought about it. It was still risky, but the thought of having a way to reach Jamie just in case she needed to contact her outside of school was tempting. Otherwise she just had to wait around and hope that Jamie called her. As she continued to consider the offer, she realized Jamie’s gaze was focused on her mouth with a look of longing on her face.

She released her bottom lip and her lips quirked up into a smirk, “Jamie, you’re staring,” she gently chided.

Jamie’s gaze snapped up to her eyes before she dropped her head with a small chuckle, “Sorry about that.”

It was surprising to not hear a flirtatious response and Dani knew that Jamie was honoring her promise to not bring up the kiss they’d shared. It was obvious that’s where her mind had been while she’d been focused on her lips and Dani appreciated the restraint. “Fine, you can leave your number.”

Jamie’s face lit up with a grin as she made her way over to the pad of paper that Dani kept by her telephone. She jotted down her number before turning to face Dani, “Feel free to use that whenever. I’d love to hear from you just to chat or better yet, to set up a time when I can come over and we can do this again.”

Dani lifted an eyebrow, silently questioning what Jamie meant by ‘do this again’. Whether it was simply hanging out as friends or if she was hopeful for a repeat of the kitchen incident. She decided not to ask and simply gave her a nod and a smile, “Sounds good. And you have my number if you want to call…but you better not take advantage of that.”

“Does calling you up in the middle of the night to tell you about my dreams count as taking advantage?”

“Yes,” Dani said with a laugh as she began to usher Jamie towards the door.

“But what if you’re featured in the dream?”

Dani felt her face grow hot as she wondered just what happened in the dreams Jamie had about her. “In that case, you definitely shouldn’t call. Keep those types of dreams to yourself.”

“But Miss Clayton, I never said what type of dreams they were,” Jamie challenged with a smirk.

Dani knew all too well that Jamie would only call her Miss Clayton if she was having dirty thoughts and wanted her to know it. Part of her was desperate to hear more about what happened in Jamie’s dreams, but the other, more rational and responsible side of her knew it was too dangerous to continue this conversation. “Goodnight Jamie,” she said as she rested her hand on the door handle.

“It will be a good fucking night if I have some of those dreams,” Jamie agreed as she leaned against the wall next to the door.

Dani rolled her eyes, but without any real annoyance behind the gesture as she opened the door. Truthfully, she was very flattered and knew she wouldn’t be too upset to have some dreams like that herself. She just hoped she wouldn’t remember them the next morning or she’d be overwhelmed with guilt for the rest of the day.

“Dani…” Jamie said quietly as she made no move to leave, still resting casually against the wall.

“Yeah?” Dani tried to sound indifferent even though her heart began to race as she wondered what Jamie was about to say.

“Think I can get my jacket back? Or do you want to hold on to it a bit longer.”

“Oh!” Dani’s face flushed with embarrassment as a smug smile appeared on Jamie’s face. “Right, yes, of course,” she said in a rush as she turned to retrieve the jacket before handing it over to Jamie. “Sorry.”

“Not a problem. You could honestly keep it if you want. It looked much better on you than it ever did on me,” Jamie said as she tucked the green jacket under her arm.

“Thank you, but I’m fine,” Dani replied, hoping her smile didn’t betray how much the comment affected her, even though she knew it probably did.

“Alright then, now that you don’t have an excuse to fall back on, I hope you reach out soon about genuinely wanting to spend time with me. Not just to return this jacket.”

“You’ll hear from me,” Dani promised with a smile. They both knew that the times they had met up had never been about returning the jacket. Dani genuinely enjoyed Jamie’s company…a little too much.

“I better,” Jamie murmured, her gaze dropping once more to Dani’s lips. She seemed to catch herself this time as she cleared her throat and straightened up. “Right, I should head out. Bye Poppins.”

“Bye,” Dani called out after her, but remained leaning against the door as she watched Jamie head down the hall until she was out of sight. She closed the door with a sigh and leaned heavily against it. She was in so much trouble and she knew it. And yet, she couldn’t stay away if she tried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, let me have it. I know there may be some excitement, some frustration, but I hope overall you liked it! 
> 
> A huge thank you to everyone who commented and left kudos on the last chapter. Your comments are so lovely and funny and wonderful, so please keep it up!
> 
> Also, I decided to start a tumblr linked to this account since there's no messaging feature on archive (lame). So feel free to come check it out, say hi, ask about the fic, or just chat. It's my username (shananigans402) .tumblr.com


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I heard you wanted jealous Dani? Okay.

Despite the occasional surge of panic that would follow a stray thought about how good Jamie’s lips felt against hers, Dani made it through the next few days relatively intact. She did her best to lock the experience in the back of her mind; partly so she wouldn’t have to deal with the guilt over her actions and partly so she wouldn’t be tempted to do it again.

She couldn’t deny that something had shifted between her and Jamie. Something she couldn’t take back, although she wasn’t entirely sure she would take it back even if she could. There was something building between them, something more than friendship and Dani knew it was only a matter of time before she wouldn’t be able to continue the charade of being just friends. The thought both terrified and excited her.

If she started her week with a spring in her step, she would simply claim it was due to her love of the fall weather and growing excitement for Halloween, though it was still nearly two weeks away. Fortunately, no one questioned her, and Dani was content to begin her week with a smile on her face.

On Tuesday, she felt entirely too restless while cooped up in her classroom during her mid-morning planning period. She had another forty minutes before her next class and she had an overwhelming urge to take a walk and enjoy the crisp fall day. After stopping by the teacher’s lounge for a cup of coffee to bring with her, she headed outside to wander around the grounds. Dani felt her spirits lifting as she looked around at the cheery shades of red, orange, and yellow that dotted the trees and laid scattered on the ground. She was struck by the truly scenic views from the schoolyard, and for perhaps the hundredth time over the last few months, she reflected on how grateful she was to have ended up at Goldthorpe.

As she rounded a corner and took in the sight of more beautiful fall trees scattered around the campus, she noticed she wasn’t the only one out enjoying the day. Up ahead she could just make out two figures sitting at a picnic table partially obscured by a large tree.

Dani drew closer and began to notice more things about the people at the table. The first was that they were smoking; she could see the clouds of smoke and the very faint scent of tobacco reached her even from over a dozen yards away. The second thing she noticed was that they were students, she could tell from the distinctive sight of the school uniforms peeking out from underneath jackets. The third thing Dani observed as she drew close enough that the tree was no longer blocking her line of sight, was that Jamie was one of the two students seated at the table.

Seeing Jamie caused Dani’s heart to flutter the way it often did when she laid eyes on the young woman. However, the feeling quickly twisted into something less like excitement and more like apprehension as she watched Jamie laughing with the other student at the table. Dani didn’t recognize the other woman, though she didn’t know why she would. The student was clearly around Jamie’s age and likely in the same year of sixth form.

Dani was still too far away to make out their conversation, but whatever it was they were discussing caused Jamie to frequently break into a wide smile or let out a laugh in between exhaling smoke into the autumn air. Dani found herself wondering what the other student could be saying to cause Jamie to laugh so much; she was certain she’d never seen Jamie look so amused before. She tried to brush aside the bitter feeling that settled in her gut, reminding herself that she was often the one to put an end to the teasing banter between her and Jamie whenever a joke got a little too flirtatious. Dani’s brow furrowed as she began to wonder if there was any playful flirtation going on between this unknown student and Jamie.

When she was near enough to be in their line of sight, and very clearly heading towards them, Dani finally attracted the attention of the students. Jamie was the first to look over, her eyes brightly shining with surprise as her usual smirk formed on her face. Dani tried not to get caught up in Jamie’s gaze and instead looked over at the other student, who glanced her way and gave her a once over as she took a drag of her cigarette. The blonde student seemed much less interested in Dani’s presence than Jamie, although Dani supposed it would be hard for anyone to match Jamie’s level of interest in her.

She suddenly began to worry about her decision to approach the pair. It hadn’t been a conscious decision as much as her feet carrying her in their direction as she took her walk around the school. It was risky to approach Jamie in front of another person, another student no less, and Dani really hoped Jamie wouldn’t say or do anything that would raise suspicion as to their budding friendship outside of school.

It was too late to turn back now, so Dani found herself stuck with the task of explaining her presence beside the two students. “Good morning ladies,” she greeted in a warm but professional tone. She earned a ‘Morning’ in reply from Jamie and a curt nod from the other student, who was still fixing her with a curious expression.

Dani was a little surprised that neither student looked particularly embarrassed or nervous at having been caught cutting class to smoke. They both seemed strangely at peace as they welcomed the interruption from the teacher. Jamie’s causal demeanor around her was one thing, but Dani found herself growing irritated that the other student didn’t seem to be worried in the least.

“You know you shouldn’t be here,” Dani said in a pointed tone, hoping to elicit some sense of concern or remorse from the students who still looked entirely too unbothered.

“You sound like my parents,” the blonde student muttered, which prompted an amused laugh from Jamie. The student smirked at her friend’s laughter and continued, “As if I’m the one who asked to be brought into this world.”

Jamie laughed again at the dark joke and Dani shifted uncomfortably, feeling like she was the one intruding on something she shouldn’t. “It’s the middle of the school day,” Dani pointed out, “You should both be in class.”

“Who says we’re not?” The blonde student challenged as she took another drag of her cigarette, holding Dani’s gaze.

“Don’t be a knob,” Jamie lightly scolded her friend in a playful tone as she nudged her leg with her shoe under the table.

“I’m not,” the other student protested, “We’re supposed to be in sociology. The study of society and social relationships, yeah? Well, we’re out here in society, interacting socially, building relationships…it’s just real-world application of the course material. If anything, we should be getting extra credit.”

Dani couldn’t help her growing dislike for the challenging student. She wanted to believe it had nothing to do with Jamie, but she felt her irritation intensifying every time Jamie laughed at the other student’s jokes.

“I don’t think your teacher, or the head teacher for that matter, would see it the same way,” Dani replied as she held the stare of the blonde student, trying her best to maintain whatever shred of authority she could muster.

“That’s because they’re fucking idiots. I think it’s a daily struggle for them to grasp most basic concepts,” the student shot back with a smirk.

Dani tensed at the combination of the blonde’s smug expression and the low chuckle that her comment drew from Jamie. She couldn’t believe the language and the comments the student was making right in front of her. It was as if she didn’t see Dani as a serious threat.

“You know I’m a teacher, right?” She asked, her tone bordering on incredulous as she wondered just how reckless this student truly was.

The student bobbed her head in a nod, “Yeah, I mean, no uniform. So I figured you were either a teacher or one of those creeps who just loiters around schools.”

Dani let out a gasp at the comment, truly irked by the student at this point.

“Give it a rest, Gemma,” Jamie spoke up before Dani could even think of a reply. “You’re getting obnoxious and I don’t want to serve detention because you can’t shut up for more than five seconds.”

Dani was grateful for Jamie intervening and trying to de-escalate the situation rather than goading her friend on further. “You both should get detention regardless because you’re skipping class and smoking on school property.”

Gemma stared at Dani, but kept her mouth shut, perhaps in part due to the look of warning she received from Jamie.

“We weren’t trying to cause any trouble. It was just hard to stay stuck inside on a gorgeous day like today. Figured a little break would do us some good,” Jamie explained, causing Dani to look over to see a genuine and warm smile on her face, pleading with her to be lenient.

Dani let out a sigh at the situation she was now in. While she wanted to give Gemma detention to show her that her actions had consequences, she knew that if she’d just run into Jamie out here, giving her detention would be the last thing on her mind. She also wasn’t entirely convinced that most of her dislike for Gemma wasn’t due to her apparent closeness with Jamie and the way she could make the brunette laugh. And it wasn’t fair for her to be punished because of that as much as Dani might want to knock her down a few pegs.

Even though she was well within her right to give them detention or take them to the front office, she found she was reluctant to be _that_ teacher. Especially not with students in their last year of sixth form.

“Get back to class,” Dani said in her no-nonsense teacher voice. Her heart fluttered at the grateful smile Jamie sent her way, but that quickly disappeared at the mocking salute Gemma gave her.

Dani took a sip of her lukewarm coffee, finding the unpleasant temperature oddly fitting for the bitter feeling that remained as she stood and watched the students to make sure they were actually leaving.

“I don’t know what your rush is,” Gemma muttered to Jamie, who had already put her cigarette out and was standing by the table waiting on her friend. “You’re the one who dragged me out here in the first place.”

Jamie’s gaze quickly cut up to look at Dani, her expression appearing almost panicked before she looked back at her friend who was leisurely putting out her cigarette. “I did not. I said _I_ was going for a smoke, you decided to tag along without an invite.”

Gemma chuckled as she finally stood up and stretched, “Yeah, but we both know you love my company.”

Dani felt her posture tense once again at the comment that could definitely be considered flirtatious. She felt Jamie’s gaze focus on her again, but she didn’t look over. “When I said get to class, I meant now,” she demanded, her tone more than a little cold as she focused her glare on Gemma.

“Okay,” the blonde student huffed as she raised her hands in defense before leading the way back to the sixth form building. Dani watched to make sure they would actually return to class and every few steps, Jamie glanced over at her – her expression concerned as if there was something she wanted to say but couldn’t. As soon as they were inside the building, Dani turned and made her way back towards her classroom, her earlier good mood all but gone as she stomped through the fallen leaves.

* * *

“This was a great idea,” Dani said with a grin as she took a sip from her glass of wine. She could feel her tension starting to ebb as she leaned back and tried to get comfortable in the wooden booth.

“I agree, brilliant idea, Rebecca,” Hannah added with a smile directed at their friend who bowed her head in acknowledgment of the praise. Grabbing an after-work drink with friends at a pub certainly wasn’t the most novel idea, but it seemed to be exactly what they all needed.

“I just figured we all deserved a drink, seemed like a pretty rough day,” Rebecca explained, her gaze drifting over to Dani as she took a sip.

Dani fought back a sigh, knowing it hadn’t escaped her friends’ attention how miserable she’d been during the dinner break. The incident with Jamie and Gemma had stayed on her mind all day and left her with a bitter taste in her mouth and a scowl on her face, as much as she tried to hide it.

“Is everything alright, dear?” Hannah asked gently as she shifted in the booth to focus her attention on Dani.

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” Dani replied dismissively as she took a sip from her glass.

Rebecca and Hannah exchanged a look as if to say they weren’t convinced. “We won’t pry, but you can talk to us, you know.” Rebecca said with a warm, friendly smile.

Dani wished it was that easy. She would love nothing more than to vent all of her frustration and confusion and stress over the last several weeks and get some feedback from her friends. But she couldn’t. The situation was far too complicated and messy and she was afraid of how they might react. Afraid of what they would say to her or what they would think of her.

“Although if it’s romance troubles, I might insist that you share,” Rebecca continued with a playful tone, “I think someone else deserves to have their relationship examined by friends.”

Dani laughed at the comment, knowing Rebecca was still a little embarrassed over their Peter intervention the other week. “Sorry to disappoint you, but there’s no romance over here. I’m very single.” The comment was technically true…except for the fact there was someone she would very much like to be romantically entangled with and who felt the same way about her.

“Maybe that’s the trouble then,” Hannah observed, “Loneliness in a new city can certainly be a cause for distress.”

“Do you want us to set you up with someone?” Rebecca asked, her expression growing excited as she looked over at Dani. “I can’t say I know too many eligible bachelors around here, apart from Owen,” she quickly glanced over at Hannah as if to acknowledge that Owen wasn’t exactly an option, “But Peter has some friends in London…”

“No, that’s okay,” Dani said a little too quickly. She saw the hurt look cross Rebecca’s face and she instantly felt bad for how fast she’d turned down the offer. “I appreciate it, I really do…but I don’t think any of his friends are exactly my type.”

“And what is your type?” Hannah asked politely, her expression attempting to appear indifferent but a hint of curiosity sparked in her eyes. Although Hannah always claimed she wasn’t one for gossip, Dani could tell she secretly loved hearing the juicy details of people’s personal lives.

Dani paused as she considered the question and felt her pulse quicken with nerves. On the surface, it was a simple enough question. However, Dani knew she’d either have to make something up or deliver a very closely guarded secret than might come with crushing consequences.

“She’s blushing, I think she has a crush,” Rebecca pointed out, mistaking the cause of Dani’s suddenly flustered state.

“No,” Dani said with a shake of her head, wanting to stop that line of questioning as it led to a door she very much wanted to keep closed. However, she continued to toy with the idea of being honest with her friends – at the very least, it would give them something substantial to keep them from prying further into any other parts of her life. And more importantly, Dani found she was drawn to the idea of not having to keep it such a secret anymore. She hoped that Hannah and Rebecca wouldn’t respond poorly to her disclosure, but she knew that was a risk she would have to take if she wanted to start being more honest about who she was.

“If…if I told you something. Something about me, would you promise not to tell anyone else?”

“Of course,” Hannah replied, her expression reflecting a hint of concern. Rebecca’s expression showed the same concern, only with a bit more excitement as she nodded in response to the question and leaned closer, her arms resting on the table.

“Okay,” Dani said as she took a deep breath. “I haven’t told very many people this. I’ve only recently started accepting it myself actually, but I…like women. I like women more than men, I mean.” She stared at her wine glass as she fidgeted with her hands in her lap, trying to summon the courage to use the label that was still so new and difficult to wrap her head around. “I’m a lesbian.”

A brief silence settled over the table and Dani closed her eyes as her nerves began to swarm inside her, filling her up with doubt and regret for sharing her secret. Suddenly she felt the gentle pressure of a hand on her arm and glanced over to see Hannah looking at her with a warm smile.

“Thank you for telling us, Dani,” Hannah said gently, her expression reflecting her appreciation at being trusted with what was obviously a closely-guarded piece of information.

“I think it’s wonderful,” Rebecca chimed in, “You’re clearly the sanest out of us lot for not bothering with men.”

Dani let out a chuckle at the joke as relief flowed through her, chasing away her earlier nerves. She relaxed into the booth as she took a sip of wine, not even realizing how much tension she’d been holding in her shoulders.

“You’re right though, Peter’s friends definitely wouldn’t be your type,” Rebecca added with a playful smile. “And unfortunately, I don’t think I know anyone to set you up with.”

“Neither do I,” Hannah agreed with a regretful smile. “But I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out on your behalf.”

“Thank you,” she said as she looked between her friends, “I’m still working on accepting it…I just tried to ignore it for so long, but I can’t do that anymore. I don’t want to either.”

“There’s no point in trying to hide from who you really are,” Hannah agreed. “That only leads to sadness and heartbreak.”

“If you ever need to talk about it, we’re here,” Rebecca offered with a patient smile. “I might not be able to relate to the experience, but I’m a great listener.”

Dani felt tears pool in her eyes as she shook her head and glanced down. “I really, really appreciate that,” she said as she dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. “I’ve been so scared to tell people, afraid that I’ll lose friends or that I’ll be judged…and I’m just really grateful for the two of you.”

“It would take a lot more than that to scare us off,” Rebecca teased, “I’m afraid you’re stuck with us at this point.”

Dani chuckled but couldn’t help the way her thoughts instantly flashed to Jamie as she wondered if that was the type of thing to scare them off. The type of thing that would cause her to lose her friends for good. She nervously swallowed at the thought and pushed the thoughts aside. One secret at a time.

* * *

Dani was in a considerably better mood by the time she arrived home that evening. The three glasses of wine had certainly helped to take the edge off the day, but even more than that, the freedom that came with coming out to two of her closest friends in her new home left her feeling relieved and content.

After a long, relaxing shower, Dani changed into a cozy set of pajamas to help fight the chill of the fall evening. She made her way towards the kitchen with the intent to make some tea that she hopefully wouldn’t ruin when her ringing phone stopped her in her tracks. It was rare that her phone rang, usually only a couple times a week, and it was almost always her mother.

With a resigned sigh, Dani dropped onto one of her dining room chairs and reached for the phone. “Hello?” She answered, steeling herself for whatever her mother wanted to rant about this week.

“Hey Poppins.”

Dani’s eyebrows lifted in surprise at the unexpected caller. “Jamie?” Her initial rush of excitement was quickly cooled by memories of the afternoon and her grip on the handset tightened.

“I’m glad you answered…I was starting to get a little worried you were avoiding me,” Jamie said, the relief evident in her voice.

“What?” Dani asked as she tried to figure out what that meant, “Why would you think that?”

“I stopped by your flat after school, but you didn’t answer the door…so I figured maybe you weren’t home yet. And then I called a couple of times after I got home, but you still didn’t answer. I was just getting a little worried, I guess.”

Dani didn’t know how to react to the news that Jamie had been by her flat and had been trying to call her. Part of her felt bad that Jamie had been so worried and part of her was flattered by her obvious concern.

“I was out,” Dani replied, not offering any further explanation. She knew it was a little petty to be so short with Jamie, but she was still annoyed by the events of the morning. She’d spent more time than she cared to admit thinking about Jamie and Gemma, wondering how long they had known each other, how often they spent time together. She wondered if Gemma ever went over to Jamie’s house, if the two of them were closer than friends. The thought of the two women together, even if Gemma was simply experimenting and Jamie trying to get experience, caused an unpleasant knot to form in her stomach.

“Right…” Jamie said slowly, clearly picking up on Dani’s terseness and cold tone. “Anyway, I know things got a little weird today and I just wanted a chance to talk to you.”

“Talk about what?” Dani asked, playing naïve as she sat back in her chair, her left arm coming up to cross her chest and tuck under the arm holding the phone tightly to her ear.

“I wanted to apologize for Gemma. She can be a complete bitch. But she’s like that with everyone, so I just wanted to make sure you didn’t take anything she said too personally.”

Dani felt her earlier frustration creep back in at the mention of Gemma’s name. It took nearly all of her effort to hold in a comment about how Jamie certainly seemed to think the bitchy comments were pretty funny. “I’m a teacher, Jamie. I’ve dealt with much worse. I know better than to get upset because an arrogant teenager thinks she’s clever.”

“Didn’t mean to imply you couldn’t handle it,” Jamie pointed out. “I just didn’t want you to think Gemma was targeting you for any particular reason. She’s like that with everyone, even her friends.”

Dani tried to figure out what possible reason Gemma would have to target her and why Jamie was so set on convincing her that wasn’t the case. Suddenly an ice-cold stab of fear cut through her and she sat up straight. “Jamie, does she know about us? Have you told her that we…hang out or whatever?”

“No, no not at all,” Jamie said quickly, “That’s what I was trying to say. She honestly has no idea who you are. I just didn’t want you thinking I’d told her anything.”

Dani let out a sigh of relief as her blood pressure began to return to normal. “You haven’t said anything to anyone about us, right? Not even your friends who aren’t in sixth form?”

“I haven’t told anyone,” Jamie promised. “Trust me, I’m not trying to do anything that could mess this up.”

Dani couldn’t help the soft smile that formed on her face at the genuine concern in Jamie’s voice. She didn’t know why she trusted that Jamie was telling the truth, after all, she could just be saying what Dani wanted to hear. But for some reason, she knew Jamie wouldn’t do that.

“Good. Thank you for not telling anyone.”

“I couldn’t help but notice your use of the term ‘us’…gotta say, Poppins. I really like the idea of an us.”

Dani could tell Jamie was smirking and she rolled her eyes, but was glad Jamie couldn’t see her smile. She had to admit she liked the idea of an ‘us’ as well, but before she could get lost in her thoughts, the reminders of why they couldn’t came creeping back in to block those daydreams. In addition to the usual reminders of why they couldn’t be together, Dani found that this time there was a disturbing new addition as she thought back to the way Jamie laughed at Gemma’s jokes. And the way Gemma had seemed to flirt with Jamie as they headed back to the building.

“It seems like Gemma might like the idea of an ‘us’ as well. You and her, I mean.” Dani wasn’t sure where the comment came from. She hadn’t meant to say anything that would give away the nagging feeling of jealousy that had been bothering her all day. She hated that the blonde teenager made her feel even the slightest bit insecure. And Dani knew she certainly shouldn’t be feeling jealous – not only was it a useless and horrible emotion, but she wasn’t even _with_ Jamie.

“Gemma?” Jamie questioned, as if surprised by the direction the conversation had taken. “Is this about those comments she was making about me dragging her outside for a smoke? Because I really didn’t, she just invited herself.”

“It seems like she enjoys spending time with you,” Dani pointed out. Not wanting to admit that she felt threatened by a student, Dani decided to go in the complete opposite direction of how she really felt. “That could be good for you though, she’s about your age. You two seem to get along well. Maybe that’s something to consider.”

“Gemma?” Jamie repeated, her tone taking on an incredulous edge.

Dani felt her irritation rise every time Jamie said the other woman’s name and she thought about how much nicer her own name sounded coming from Jamie’s mouth. She didn’t have long to consider that thought before a loud laugh echoed through the phone.

“I’m sorry, it’s just…the thought of me and Gemma. It’s, uh, well, it’s pretty awful. She’s an okay friend, but fucking hell she gets on my nerves. Imagine what you saw today, but 24/7. She never gets any less miserable, which is fine if you want someone to have a laugh with during a smoke break. But anything more than that…damn, I really feel bad for whoever ends up with her.”

Dani knew her expression betrayed how smug she felt as she listened to Jamie scoff at the thought of her being with Gemma. She was just glad no one was around to see how much enjoyment she was getting out of it. Although she knew it would be in everyone’s best interest if Jamie did want to pursue something with another student, at this point, Dani knew she was in too deep and it would hurt like hell if Jamie found someone else she was interested in. She wouldn’t stop her, of course, but it wouldn’t lessen the disappointment or the pain.

“You don’t have to date her then. I was just saying it seemed like she was pretty into you,” Dani said by way of explaining why she brought the idea up in the first place.

“She just likes attention, if you’d laughed at her jokes she would have been following you around like a puppy.”

“Oh god,” Dani frowned at the thought of having another student trying to flirt with her. Jamie was one thing, Gemma would have been a whole different situation that she definitely didn’t want any part of. “Good thing I didn’t laugh at her jokes then.”

Jamie let out a hum of agreement, seeming to be amused by Dani’s reaction to the thought of Gemma being interested in her. There was a brief pause before Jamie spoke up to fill the silence, “I don’t normally care for the whole jealousy thing. Find it a bit possessive. But with you it’s actually pretty cute. Probably because you’re so shit at trying to hide it.”

Dani felt the blood rush to her face as her mouth dropped open, “I’m not jealous!”

“Just felt like trying to sort out what was going on between me and Gemma for fun then?” Jamie challenged, her smugness reflected in her tone.

“Like I said, you two seemed to get along well and I thought you might be good together,” Dani explained even though she knew it would do little to convince Jamie she was wrong.

“Well, I appreciate the concern about my dating life,” Jamie replied, her tone indicating she didn’t buy Dani’s explanation in the slightest. “But to be honest, there’s only one person I’m interested in.”

“Yeah?” Dani asked, her tone softer than she would like. She knew exactly who Jamie was referring to and she should have shut the conversation down rather than giving her the opportunity to continue. But if Dani was being honest, there was only one person she was interested in too.

“Yeah. She’s the complete package – incredibly smart, caring, funny, insanely beautiful.”

Dani couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face, “I’m sure she has some bad qualities too.”

“Well, she’s American, but I’m willing to overlook that,” Jamie joked, eliciting a laugh from Dani.

“How very kind of you to look past that,” Dani teased. “She must be pretty special if you’re willing to deal with something as awful as that.”

“She’s incredible,” Jamie replied, effortlessly sliding back into being sweet and flirtatious. “I’ve never met anyone like her in my life.”

Dani let out a little hum, flattered by the comment and not really wanting Jamie to stop even though she knew she should put an end to it before things got out of hand, or rather, even more out of hand.

“And I’m probably not supposed to say this…but I swear she’s the best kisser in the whole goddamn world. She has the most amazing lips and I’ve never felt more alive than when she was kissing me.”

Jamie was right, she probably shouldn’t have said that. Dani’s eyes closed while Jamie was talking and she allowed herself for a brief moment to get lost in the memory of kissing Jamie. Despite her guilt, it had been an incredibly surreal and wonderful experience for her and she was relieved that Jamie felt the same way.

“Jamie,” she whispered, intending to say the name as a warning to stop her from going further. However, she hadn’t counted on how affected she already was by Jamie’s words and the name left her lips in an almost desperate and pleading murmur.

“Christ, Dani,” Jamie breathed into the phone, “You say my name like that again and I swear I’ll be on your doorstep in 20 minutes flat.”

Dani grinned and bit her lip as she toyed with the idea of repeating the name, wondering if Jamie would in fact show up at her flat tonight if she did. The thought was exhilarating, but ultimately she knew it was a bad idea. It was late. She’d been drinking. It was a school night.

The last thought was what firmly shut down the idea of playing into the flirting any further. School night meant she needed to be up early to teach and Jamie needed to get to school to learn. Dani leaned back heavily in her chair, all dirty thoughts banished from her mind.

“It’s late. We both have to be up early in the morning,” Dani said gently, knowing Jamie would be disappointed that she didn’t play along and continue the flirting.

Jamie let out a sigh of frustration. “What if I didn’t?”

“What do you mean?” Dani asked, confused by the response. “Are you planning on blowing off class and just hanging around my flat while I go to work?”

“Sounds like a great idea to me,” Jamie replied in a cheeky tone.

Dani let out a chuckle, “Yeah, that’s not really doing it for me. So, I think I’ll just say goodnight.”

“Goodnight Poppins. Try to have some fun dreams about me, yeah?”

“Goodnight,” Dani repeated in a louder tone to end the conversation, though the amusement in her voice made it clear she wasn’t upset by the joke. Not in the slightest. As she headed to bed, Dani found herself wishing that Jamie would star in her dreams that night. Compared to previous times she’d guiltily had the same thought, this time she hoped she would remember the dreams in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thoughts? I know it might not have been exactly what you expected/wanted from jealous Dani, but I hope it was entertaining. 
> 
> I think you all might really enjoy the next chapter. You might not...but I think you will. 
> 
> THANK YOU to everyone who commented or left kudos on the last chapter. You all have been bringing your A game to the comments section and I love it, I truly do. I appreciate any and all feedback and reactions as well as things you want to see in this story. 
> 
> Also feel free to send comments or requests for things you want to see in this fic over on my tumblr page (shananigans402.tumblr.com) Or just come say hi! Thank you to everyone who has followed me, sent asks, messaged me, or liked my posts. You all are fabulous!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first part of this chapter came from an idea expressed by two different lovely commenters (wildnoutinwildemount and cutiemcgrath). I can't believe the idea hadn't even crossed my mind until I saw their comments, so I'm glad they suggested it (further incentive to send me suggestions because sometimes I miss completely obvious directions for this story to take).
> 
> The second half of this chapter...that's just from my own brain and it kind of took on a life of its own. I hope you enjoy!

Dani found herself in a considerably better mood when she woke up on Wednesday morning. She wasn’t sure whether it had to do with coming out to Hannah and Rebecca and receiving so much support and acceptance in return, or if it was due to her phone call with Jamie. Either way, she wasn’t going to question the content feeling that lasted throughout the day.

Thursday started out well enough, although Dani was starting to feel a bit restless. She didn’t need to put too much thought into determining what was driving her impatience, because her thoughts were constantly turning to the beautiful brunette whom she hadn’t seen in nearly 48 hours. As her classes stretched on, Dani promised herself that she would call Jamie that night to schedule a time to meet during the upcoming weekend. Doing so would hopefully allow her to get through her Friday with a bit more clarity and focus than she currently had.

As she was heading out for the day, eagerly anticipating the call she was planning to make later that evening, a stray glance into the front office caused Dani to stop in her tracks. Two familiar faces were in the office, side-by-side on a bench and wearing nearly identical bored expressions.

Before she could stop herself, Dani found herself going into the office and approaching the pair, but addressing only one of them.

“Hey Mikey, is everything okay?”

The boy glanced up at his teacher and a smile spread across his face, “Hi Miss Clayton. I’m okay, we’re just waiting to speak with the head teacher.”

That was exactly what Dani was worried about. She glanced over at Jamie, who seemed to be focused on examining Dani’s choice of outfit for the day.

“What happened?” Dani asked curiously as she returned her attention to Mikey. “Are those boys still bullying you?”

Mikey shook his head, a pleased smile playing on his lips. “No, they tried to start something the other day, but my friend Andrew had my back. My friend Claire too.” Mikey’s face turned pink as he mentioned the name Claire and he ducked his head. Dani glanced over to exchange an amused smile with Jamie.

“It sounds like you have some pretty good friends,” Dani observed, which caused Mikey to glance back up with an eager nod.

“Oh yeah, they’re the best,” he agreed.

Dani was relieved that the boy was starting to make new friends and that the bullying seemed to be less of an issue. However, she was aware they were still in the front office after school waiting to talk to the head teacher, which was rarely a good thing. She began to worry if Mikey’s new friends weren’t such a good influence after all.

“Why do you need to meet with the head teacher, if you don’t mind me asking?” Dani questioned. She didn’t want to seem nosy, but she was genuinely concerned for her student.

“Oh, we’re not here for me,” Mikey explained. “I’m just waiting for Jamie. She got in trouble today.”

Dani snapped her attention over to Jamie and noticed the uncharacteristic look of embarrassment on the brunette’s face. Her mind went into overdrive trying to figure out what Jamie had done. With the student’s lack of interest in her coursework and tendency to cut class to smoke, there were surely plenty of reasons to choose from. Dani began to idly wonder if it had been another daytime smoke break with Gemma, but quickly pushed those thoughts away when she felt that sickly feeling of jealousy that she hated so much.

“I didn’t get in trouble,” Jamie defended herself, “I was just teaching some no-good punks a lesson.”

“Yeah, a lesson with your fists. My friend Connor said he saw you punch someone,” Mikey said with a grin.

“Well, your friend Connor is a liar,” Jamie shot back, “I didn’t hit anyone. I was just talking with them is all.”

“More like yelling,” Mikey replied with a smirk.

Jamie rolled her eyes, “You’re a cheeky little bastard, you know that?”

“Does anyone want to tell me what happened?” Dani asked, knowing she couldn’t speak quite as plainly with Jamie as she would like since they were in a public setting and there were other students and staff members milling around.

“Don’t worry about it,” Jamie said with a shrug as she dropped her gaze to the floor.

Dani focused her gaze on Jamie, still searching for answers, but the other woman stubbornly refused to look up.

The door to the head teacher’s office opened, drawing the attention of all three of the people waiting by the door.

“Miss Taylor, can you please join us?” Henry Wingrave asked with a tired expression.

“Only if you can keep those tossers in line so I don’t have to,” Jamie replied as she reluctantly stood up from the bench.

The head teacher gave a weary sigh, not even bothering to scold her as he waved her towards the office.

Dani shifted so she could look into the room to see who exactly Jamie had gotten into a fight with. She let out a quiet gasp and glanced over at Jamie, “They’re just kids!”

“Hardly,” Jamie scoffed, “They’re fifteen, at least. Old enough to know how to show some respect!” She raised her voice for the final part so the two boys in the office would be able to hear.

The two teenage boys glanced over at the noise and adopted similar startled expressions.

“I can’t believe you brought her here!” One protested as his face began to flush.

“I didn’t, you bell end,” Jamie replied, her voice tight as she glared at the boy as if threatening him not to say anything else.

Dani furrowed her brow in confusion at the boy’s comment and couldn’t help but feel like she was the ‘her’ the boy had referred to. It wasn’t exactly a ridiculous conclusion to draw seeing as she was the only other female in the boy’s line of sight besides Jamie.

Henry also seemed confused as he glanced from Jamie back to the boys in his office. “I don’t follow, what does Miss Clayton have to do with this?”

The boys exchanged a look before one was brave enough to speak up under the stern stare of the head teacher, “She was, um, the teacher that we were just, uh, talking about and making a few jokes before that nutter out there became completely unhinged and went off on us.”

“I…I don’t understand,” Dani said as she glanced between Jamie and the boys in the office, desperately trying to put the pieces together. Panic began to swell inside her as she wondered if these boys had somehow seen her and Jamie out together and that’s what these ‘jokes’ were about.

“I’m afraid I don’t either, that’s why I’m trying to get to the bottom of this. However, it’s quite difficult to do so when both parties seem to be telling completely different stories,” Henry glared at all three students involved. “Miss Clayton, you’re welcome to join us since it seems like you were unfortunately, and seemingly unwillingly, involved in all of this.”

Dani swallowed nervously, still terrified to think what the boys might have seen. However, she knew she’d be even more nervous to not be in the room and not have the chance to defend herself against whatever the students claimed.

“I think I will join,” she decided with a curt nod to Henry as she stepped into the office. She noticed the two boys refused to make eye contact with her as they stared at the floor.

With the two chairs across from the large wooden desk occupied by the male students, the only other seating option was a loveseat pushed against a wall, perpendicular to the desk. Dani felt her panic began to rise as she pictured being squished next to Jamie as the story of whatever the boys had witnessed unfolded. It would look intimate and bad and only support the boys’ claims, so she opted to stand on the other side of the desk, facing the loveseat and with nearly an entire office of space, and a large wooden desk, between her and Jamie.

“You can have a seat, if you’d like,” Henry offered as he took a seat behind his desk and gestured towards the vacant spot on the loveseat next to Jamie.

“I’m alright, thank you,” Dani replied. She hoped she didn’t look as nervous as she felt as she waited for the boys to start talking.

“Alright, I’ve heard both sides of the story now and they don’t line up at all, I’m afraid,” Henry explained. “Unfortunately, we don’t have any witnesses until well after the argument began, so I’m just asking someone to please give an honest account of what led to the disagreement.”

“It wasn’t a bloody disagreement,” Jamie protested. “These two arse-” she paused when Henry gave her a look warning her to stop with the names, “Look, I was just minding my own business. Then I overhear these two saying awful, inappropriate shite and I just couldn’t stand by and not say anything about it. They need to learn to respect people even when they think no one’s around to hear them.”

“We were just joking around,” one of the boys protested as his gaze quickly cut over to Dani before he looked back to the head teacher. “You can’t punish us for dumb jokes made between friends or everyone at this school would be in trouble every day.”

“Perhaps it would help if I knew what the comments were,” Henry said as he ran a hand tiredly through his hair, “After all, that is the one part of the story neither side seems willing to share. Now I know it involves Miss Clayton, but I don’t know much more than that.”

Dani watched as the boys exchanged a nervous look and she glanced over to see Jamie staring at the ground as she angrily flexed her hand into a fist before releasing it.

“Don’t all talk at once,” Henry scoffed.

“We were just saying that the new teacher is pretty,” one of the boys explained shyly as he stared at the desk, avoiding the eyes of everyone else in the room. “We were just making dumb comments about how attractive she is, that’s all. Honest.”

“Bullshit,” Jamie snapped as she leaned forward, glaring at the boys.

“Language, Miss Taylor!” Henry corrected with a glare.

“I’m sorry, but they’re lying! You really think I would have gone off on them like I did if they just said she was pretty? I’m not a bloody psychopath, everyone can see she’s pretty.”

Dani knew her face was flushed with embarrassment as the conversation took a turn from what she’d been expecting.

“Alright, so what did they say that caused you to react the way you did?” Henry asked as he fixed Jamie with a curious expression.

Jamie let out a sigh, her gaze quickly flicking up to meet Dani’s before dropping to the ground. “I’m not about to repeat it verbatim, because that would definitely get me scolded again for language,” she said with a pointed look at the head teacher. “But to summarize, I overheard them talking in very specific and graphic terms about Miss Clayton and all the things they’d like to do to her. The shit they were saying would have made a porn star blush, excuse the expression. It was disturbing and completely inappropriate – especially at school when there are much younger kids, like my brother, walking about. The last thing we need is for more kids to turn into disgusting perverts like these two.” Jamie finished her explanation with a hard glare at the boys.

Dani was stunned but she didn’t doubt a single thing Jamie had said. Mostly because she trusted Jamie, but also because the two boys had nearly identical flushed faces and guilty expressions as the brunette had called them out. It didn’t stop them from trying to deny the claim though.

“That…that’s not what happened,” one of the boys protested as he looked nervously at the head teacher. “We were just talking and making a couple comments, but it wasn’t anything graphic, she’s just exaggerating!”

“Oh yeah?” Jamie challenged as she held the boy’s gaze and leaned forward, “Tell me, what reason could I possibly have for making up something like that?”

The boy gawked for a moment as his brain tried to come up with a reason, “So you can try to avoid getting in trouble for the way you flew off the handle and screamed at us.”

“Right, and why would I have gotten upset with you if it really was just a few dumb comments?” Jamie continued, excellently setting up her case before the head teacher.

“I don’t know, maybe it’s your time of the month,” the other boy suggested, getting a chuckle from his friend.

Jamie’s eyes flashed with anger and she shifted to look at Henry. “This is exactly what I’m talking about. These idiots have no respect for women and it’s absolutely disgusting. It’s a failure of the school system, is what it is. And if no one else is gonna correct that behavior, I have no problem taking it upon myself to do so.”

“There will be no need for that,” Henry said as he held up a hand towards Jamie. “But I believe you do have a point.” He turned his attention back to the boys and a contemplative frown formed on his face as he took a moment to think before glancing over at Jamie. “Miss Taylor, you are free to go. But next time, please just report the behavior to a teacher rather than taking it upon yourself to try to correct it.”

Jamie shot the boys a smug smirk before nodding in Henry’s direction. “Will do,” she promised, although everyone in the room knew that she would likely do the same thing all over again if the situation came up. She stood up and made her way toward the door, casting a glance in Dani’s direction before she ducked out of the office.

“Miss Clayton, I am so sorry that you were involved with this. I believe these students owe you an apology,” Henry said as he fixed the boys with a stern glare.

“Sorry Miss Clayton,” the two boys mumbled nearly in unison as they continued to avoid her gaze.

“That type of behavior is absolutely not tolerated at Goldthorpe Academy,” Henry said as he straightened up and glared at the two students who seemed to shrink even more into their chairs.

Dani stood up and quickly made her way out of the office, not in any mood to continue listening to the lecture and punishment. As she left the front office, she saw Jamie and Mikey making their way down the hall. Even though Dani was desperate to talk with Jamie about what happened, she knew it wasn’t the time or place. Jamie glanced over her shoulder and caught her gaze.

Dani gestured and mouthed ‘I’ll call you’, getting a smile and a nod from Jamie before she disappeared around the corner behind her brother. With a sigh, Dani headed toward the exit, her day considerably less pleasant after the encounter in the head teacher’s office. However, the thought of talking to Jamie later on brought a smile to her face that stayed there during the remainder of her walk home.

* * *

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me,” Dani said softly, too nervous to say her name just in case whoever answered the phone wasn’t who she thought and just did a very good Jamie impression.

“Hey Poppins,” Jamie greeted, her happy tone bringing a smile to Dani’s face.

“I hope it’s an okay time. I just wanted to talk about earlier,” Dani explained, even though she knew she didn’t really need to justify calling since Jamie certainly wasn’t going to complain about it.

“Ah, I was kinda hoping you’d just forget about that,” Jamie replied. “Though I am happy that you called. It’s always nice to hear your voice.”

Dani smiled as she clutched the handset tighter, but tried not to get too distracted by Jamie’s flattery. “I don’t see how I could forget. It was pretty embarrassing to have all of that unfold in front of Mr. Wingrave.”

“Yeah, sorry about that,” Jamie apologized, “I’d left out the specifics the first time I talked to him because I didn’t want anyone to know it was you those shitheads were talking about…but then, well, you saw how everything turned out.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Dani said reassuringly. “I appreciate you standing up for me, even if I don’t know exactly what happened. What kinds of things were they saying about me?”

“Trust me, you don’t wanna know,” Jamie muttered, her bitter tone indicating she still held a fair amount of anger towards the boys.

“That bad, huh?” Dani asked with a chuckle.

“They’re just stupid, hormonal boys,” Jamie replied. “They think it’s perfectly fine to talk about women like objects and go into disgusting detail about their sexual fantasies, as if the women they talk about would ever give them the time of day.”

“It’s gross,” Dani agreed, “But like you said, they’re just hormonal teenage boys. They’re going to say stuff like that. I try not to think about it, but I know that kinda talk happens all the time.”

“I know. I hear shit like that constantly and normally I do my best to ignore it, but when I heard them talking about you today…I just couldn’t walk by and let them continue to disrespect you like that,” Jamie admitted, the last part coming out quieter than the rest as if she was nervous to be so honest.

Dani couldn’t help but smile and she propped her chin in her free hand, her elbow resting on the table in front of her. “Well, I appreciate you defending my honor, it was very chivalrous of you.”

“Yeah, that’s me. Knight in shining armor,” Jamie joked, although her tone seemed off. “I just…I want you to know that I didn’t pick a fight with them because I was jealous or possessive or anything like that. I would have done the same thing if I overheard them talking that way about anyone I know. It was way too far over the line.”

“Okay, as much as I don’t want to know what they said…the more you’re talking about it, the more curious I am,” Dani said with a light laugh.

“Believe me, I’m doing you a favor by sparing you the details,” Jamie said with a chuckle of her own, “But let’s just say that for some reason they’re under the impression that Americans are much easier than English girls and into some really kinky shit.”

“What?” Dani asked with a gasp, part shocked and part amused. “Where did they get that idea?”

“No clue. And while I can’t speak to all women from your country, I can say for a fact that you are certainly not easy. You have me working very, very hard for it.”

“Jamie!” Dani protested, although her warning had very little bite as she let out a startled laugh.

“It’s true. I’ve been working my arse off for weeks and so far I just have one kiss to show for it,” Jamie replied, her teasing tone reassuring Dani that she wasn’t actually upset about it. Disappointed perhaps, but not angry.

Dani shook her head in amusement. “I have to say, you were a bit of a hypocrite today yelling at those boys like that when I’m sure you’ve had thoughts just as bad as the things they were saying.”

“Okay, first of all,” Jamie began, her tone turning serious as she prepared to set the record straight. “Having dirty thoughts is one thing. It’s when you voice them out loud to your mates in public and joke around that it becomes an issue. But second, don’t lump me in with them. The things they were describing were truly awful and degrading, I would never demean you like that in my fantasies.” Jamie paused and her tone shifted to something decidedly more seductive. “Quite the opposite actually, the thoughts I have about you fall more into the category of worship.”

Dani felt her heart pounding in her chest and she wondered if something in her radiator malfunctioned to make it at least twenty degrees hotter in her flat all of the sudden. She tried and failed to conjure up a visual of what Jamie was describing and she wasn’t sure if she was unable to do so because she’d gotten so good at blocking those thoughts or if her lack of experience with women left her without an adequate way to picture it.

“Poppins? You still there? I didn’t scare you off, did I?” Jamie asked, her tone sounding an odd mix of hesitant and smug.

Dani realized she’d fallen completely silent in her shock at Jamie’s flirtatious comment. She also noticed how dry her mouth suddenly seemed and she quickly snatched her nearly empty wine glass from dinner and drained the contents. “Yeah, I’m here,” she replied, her voice escaping her quickly and a little too high-pitched to pass as normal.

Jamie gave a little hum and Dani could tell she was pleased at the speechless reaction she’d elicited with her comment. Dani knew she should say something, anything really, to change the topic and get them back towards safer territory. However, she found herself unable, or perhaps unwilling, to say anything more as she reached out to grab the wine bottle and poured herself a second glass.

“Would you like to hear about some of those thoughts, Poppins?” Jamie asked, her question bold but her tone cautious.

Dani’s breathing became shallow as she gripped her wine glass. The rational side of her brain was urging her to say no and end the call. However, her curiosity as well as certain parts of her anatomy were telling her to take Jamie up on the offer. “That’s probably a really bad idea,” She responded as she took a sip of wine to try to quiet the feud between her thoughts and emotions.

“That wasn’t a no…” Jamie pointed out.

Dani smiled because Jamie was definitely observant. She knew the other woman was well aware that her reluctance to refuse the offer was indicative of her level of interest. “What if Mikey were to overhear? Or your dad?”

“My dad’s out and will be for at least a few more hours. Mikey’s in front of the TV and won’t be moving anywhere until I make him go to bed,” Jamie replied, her tone becoming increasingly hopeful.

“But he’s there,” Dani protested, “You can never predict when kids will randomly start wandering around.”

“Which is why I stretched the phone cord from the kitchen to the bathroom,” Jamie explained, “Trust me, after 19 years I’ve figured out how to get privacy in this house. No one’s gonna hear this conversation.”

Dani took another sip of her wine, her face flushed with embarrassment and perhaps with excitement as well.

“Any more objections?” Jamie asked, though her smug tone made it clear that she knew she had won.

Dani bit her bottom lip roughly. She knew she should have so many more objections, but she couldn’t find it in her to voice them. Her heart continued to beat rapidly in her chest as she waited for Jamie to start talking.

“Right then,” Jamie said, her smile evident in her voice. “The thoughts I have about you…” she trailed off and let out a chuckle. “I think you’d find a lot of them quite sweet, actually. Most of the time I just think about things like getting to kiss you again, holding your hand, taking you out on a proper date. Really cheesy, mushy stuff that would get me mocked mercilessly by my mates if they found out that’s what I spend a good bit of my time daydreaming about.”

A smile spread across Dani’s face because she hadn’t expected such a sweet comment after all of that build up.

“But I take it that’s not the stuff you’re interested in hearing about right now. I think you want to hear more about the thoughts I have that aren’t so innocent. Is that right?”

The smile dropped from Dani’s face, replaced by a look of pure want. She could tell that Jamie wouldn’t say anything more until she got confirmation from her. As frustrating as that was since Dani didn’t want to explicitly ask her to continue, deep down she appreciated that Jamie wasn’t going to say anything until she knew it was what Dani wanted.

“Mhmm,” she murmured softly, taking a long sip of wine after her admission.

“In that case, I think a lot about getting you alone. Someplace private of course, because even in my fantasies you’re nagging me about no one seeing. Not that I mind, it makes it seem more real.”

Dani playfully rolled her eyes and found herself leaning forward as impatience began to set in.

“But once I have you alone, then I can kiss you the way I’ve been dying to since I first laid eyes on you. Sometimes I imagine it slow, almost painfully slow. Other times, it’s fast and rough. Either way, it always leads to the same point of me getting you out of your clothes. And, damn, is that a sight I love to picture and I’m sure the real thing is a million times better than anything I’ve been able to imagine.”

Dani blushed as she thought about Jamie picturing her without clothes. She wondered if, in fact, the reality would live up the hype or if the imagined version would be better. However, she quickly dismissed the thought because she just couldn’t picture a scenario in which Jamie would be disappointed to see her naked.

“From there, I take my time just admiring you before letting my hands take over – touching you, caressing you, exploring…and my mouth too. God, I’d love to kiss you everywhere, find out which spots really get a reaction. And then, after I have you well and truly worked up, then I would give you attention where you most need it. With my fingers…my mouth…my tongue.”

A desperate whimper escaped Dani before she could rein in her reaction to Jamie’s words. She found she was visualizing everything the other woman was describing as best she could and the images in her mind, as well as Jamie’s alluring voice describing it, was wreaking havoc on her libido. She hoped that Jamie hadn’t heard her audible reaction to her words; however, the low chuckle on the other end of the line indicated that wasn’t the case.

“If you make sounds like that just from me talking, I can only imagine the sounds you’d make if I could actually get my hands on you. I really hope you’re loud, it would be a shame if you kept it all to yourself…though I’m sure I’d come up with ways to draw it out of you.”

Dani’s eyes drifted closed as she conjured up the visuals of what Jamie was describing. Truthfully, she’d never been one to be vocal in the bedroom, but she had a feeling that with Jamie things might be very, very different. “Jamie…” she murmured, her voice low, almost pleading.

“Yeah?” Jamie asked, her own voice low and breathless indicating that she was perhaps equally affected by what she’d been describing. “What do you want, Dani?”

The question was asked in such a way as to indicate that Jamie was willing to do just about whatever Dani might ask. Her name sounded like a term of endearment coming from Jamie’s lips as it was spoken with so much reverence. She found herself flooded with ways to answer the question – _more, you, everything, come over_ – unfortunately, she couldn’t quite summon the courage to say any of those things.

She did, however, have a question that she was curious to know the answer to and was only just brave enough to ask. “In those fantasies of yours, do I ever return the favor?”

Jamie exhaled as if she’d been waiting with bated breath for Dani’s response and then let out a low chuckle. “Yeah, I may have pictured that once or twice. Or, you know, all the fucking time.”

Dani smiled at the answer and nervously fiddled with the stem of her wine glass before asking a follow up question. “Am I any good?”

“God, Dani,” Jamie murmured, her voice tight with arousal. “Good doesn’t even begin to describe it. You get me so worked up that getting myself off after almost doesn’t cut it. I mean, it’s fine, but it feels like a bit of a letdown compared to what I picture you doing.”

The comment flattered Dani more than it probably should and she grinned happily even though she was still thoroughly flustered by what Jamie had just revealed. “You, um, touch yourself when you think about me?”

“Did I say too much?” Jamie asked with a chuckle. “I thought that was pretty obvious, but yeah, I do. Not every time I have those daydreams, but sometimes…yeah.”

“Oh,” Dani replied breathlessly, not knowing what else to say since she was still both flattered and overwhelmed by the thought.

“Do you ever take care of yourself while thinking about me?” Jamie asked, her curious tone betraying her hopefulness.

“No,” Dani answered honestly.

“Oh,” Jamie exhaled; the single syllable sounding entirely different from when Dani had uttered it just moments before.

Dani could hear the disappointment in Jamie’s voice and rushed to clarify. “But I haven’t done… _that_ in a while. A really long while.”

“No wonder you’re so tense,” Jamie muttered before her tone became flirtatious, “It could do you some good. Want me to come over and show you how it’s done?”

Dani playfully rolled her eyes at the offer, “Oh I’m sure you’d love that.”

“I would. I really, really would,” Jamie agreed before letting out a sigh. “Fuck, Dani, when can I see you?”

It was an excellent question and one Dani had been pondering throughout their conversation. “This weekend? Saturday, maybe?”

“Saturday works,” Jamie agreed. “Are we meeting at your place again?”

Dani considered the question. It was definitely easy to meet up at her flat and had the benefit of privacy. However, after their conversation, Dani found herself getting increasingly nervous that Jamie might expect something to happen if she came over.

“We can…” Dani started as she wondered how to continue without leading Jamie on. “But, I just want to make sure you’re not planning on us, um, acting out any of the things we were just talking about. I do want to see you and spend time with you, but not doing…that. I just want to hang out as -”

“I get it,” Jamie cut her off quickly, “But please don’t say the ‘f’ word.”

“Fuck?” Dani joked, unable to resist poking fun at the way Jamie clearly despised the word ‘friend’; at least in relation to whatever was going on between them.

“No, that one you can say as much as you like,” Jamie replied with a flirtatious edge to her voice, “In fact, I highly encourage it.”

Dani’s eyes widened. She’d just been trying to make a cheeky joke but now she realized how bad it was to bring up that word in particular in light of everything they’d just been talking about and what she’d been trying to get Jamie’s mind off of.

“As I was saying,” Dani said as she tried to get the conversation back on track. “We can hang out at my place, but just don’t expect any…”

“Fucking?” Jamie finished. Her tone sounded amused, but Dani was sure it was covering up her underlying disappointment as Dani once again drew their attention to the boundaries that prevented them from being more than friends.

“Yes,” Dani agreed, “So, if that’s okay with you, feel free to come over on Saturday.”

“Of course it’s okay with me, Poppins. I do genuinely enjoy your company, you know.”

“Good,” Dani replied, although she couldn’t help the pleased smile that spread across her face. “I’ll see you Saturday then. Maybe around noon?”

“Works for me,” Jamie replied. “Oh and Poppins?”

“Yeah?”

“I’d really consider giving yourself some self-love, might help to relieve some of that tension.”

“Goodnight Jamie,” Dani said pointedly, not about to engage her in further conversation on the topic.

“Though of course that type of sexual frustration might get you to the point where you’re more receptive to my advances, in which case it would be better if you didn’t take care of yourself…” Jamie mused.

“I’m hanging up now,” Dani said even though she made no move to end the call.

“But if you do choose to do so, think of me while you do it, yeah?” Jamie asked hopefully.

Dani bit her lip as she shook her head. No one could say Jamie wasn’t confident. And persistent. “Maybe,” she responded before she hung up the phone.

She was sure that Jamie had been able to hear the sultry tone that indicated the ‘maybe’ was really a ‘definitely’.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very excited to hear your thoughts on this chapter! 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who left kudos or commented on the last chapter! I get so much joy out of reading all of your comments and replying to them. I seriously can't properly express how much it means to get feedback on this story, so again, thank you!
> 
> And thank you to everyone who has followed me over on tumblr and sent me asks/messages. I'm quite useless at utilizing social media platforms appropriately, so feel free to head over there and tell me what you'd like to see.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll give the disclaimer that this chapter is a bit shorter than previous chapters. But the next few will be pretty long so I hope that makes up for it. 
> 
> I also want to say thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter. Your reactions and comments and suggestions are all so appreciated and they make me very happy. So really, thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, or give kudos, or even just read this story.
> 
> And thank you to everyone who has wandered over to say hi on tumblr (shananigans402.tumblr.com). Your messages, asks, likes, etc. are so very much appreciated! 
> 
> You are all just so wonderful. Am I rambling? No I don't think so. Anyway, here's the next chapter.

Dani’s head snapped up when she heard a knock at the door. She forced herself to take a moment to collect herself and not appear too eager.

After a long, deep breath, she stood up and fixed her sweater, a rather form-fitting and very soft pink sweater. If anyone asked if she had selected it for any specific reason, she would say no…she definitely wouldn’t admit that she had been unable to stop picturing Jamie’s hands running over the soft material. Perhaps working their way underneath. Dani shook her head to get control over her wandering thoughts as she made her way across her flat to greet her visitor.

“Hey Poppins,” Jamie said with a smile as soon as the door was opened to reveal her waiting in the hall.

“Hey,” Dani returned the greeting as her gaze swept over the brunette. Even dressed simply in jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket, Jamie looked incredibly attractive and Dani couldn’t help but grip the door knob a little tighter.

Jamie’s smile grew as she let her gaze sweep shamelessly over Dani, not even hiding that she was checking her out. The moment dragged on and Dani leaned against the door to fight against the way Jamie’s smile left her weak in the knees.

“You gonna invite me in, or…” Jamie trailed off as her smile dissolved into her usual smirk.

“Oh, right, come in,” Dani said as she stepped back to let Jamie into her flat. She led the way over to the living room where she took a seat on the couch, tucking her legs underneath her.

Jamie followed her lead and made herself comfortable on the couch before turning to look at Dani, excitement glimmering in her eyes. “I have some news.”

“Oh yeah?” Dani asked, her interest was piqued as she tried to figure out where this could be going. “What is it?”

Jamie shifted to better face her on the couch with an eager expression. “You know that hardware store in town, a little ways down the road?” She paused and waited until she got a nod from Dani. “Well, the owner, Harry, decided to expand the garden section of the store. It’s mostly just lawn maintenance tools for now, but he has plans to eventually bring in more plants too. Anyway, he was looking for someone to cover the new section and, well, I went in to apply for the position. I told him I knew nothing really about the equipment but I wanted to learn and I told him about my interest in learning how to garden. I didn’t expect much to come from it since I’m a bit underqualified for the position, but I stopped in on my way here today and Harry said the position was mine if I wanted it!”

Dani listened intently to the story, finding she couldn’t look away as Jamie spoke excitedly about getting the job. She couldn’t help but feel a little bit proud that she’d encouraged Jamie to find something she was passionate about and here Jamie had gone and done just that.

“That’s amazing, Jamie,” she replied with a happy smile of her own. “I know you wanted to learn more about gardening and landscaping, this seems like a great way to get there.”

Jamie nodded in agreement, “Yeah, exactly. It’s not the most glamorous job, but given I know nothing about how to take care of plants, this should at least get me started. And there are some books on garden maintenance at the store too, so I can buy them with my discount. Or more realistically, just read them in the store while I’m working on slow days. It’s not the job I want to be doing forever, but I think it will help lead to where I want to go.”

“I think it’s going to be great,” Dani encouraged, trying to maintain her smile even though she felt a bit disappointed as she thought about the logistics. “So I’m guessing you’ll be working after school and on weekends?” It would pose some limitations to the times they were able to hang out, but Dani knew she was willing to rearrange her schedule to fit around Jamie’s weekend shifts so they could still spend time together.

“After school?” Jamie repeated with a furrowed brow before she seemed to catch on to Dani’s misunderstanding. “Dani, this is a full-time position.”

Now it was Dani’s turn to look confused as she tilted her head to the side, “I still don’t really get sixth form, but you can’t possibly manage a full-time job with classes and coursework. It’s way too much.”

Jamie chuckled and shook her head, “You’re absolutely right and that’s why I’m dropping the schoolwork from the equation.”

Dani drew her eyebrows together as she tried to process what Jamie was telling her. “Drop the schoolwork? So you’re…dropping out of school?”

“Yeah,” Jamie said with an amused smile as she watched Dani’s struggle to catch on to the plan. “Like you said, I can’t fit in both school and work, so I choose work.”

“But you can’t do that!” Dani protested as her eyes widened. “You can’t just drop out of school.”

“Pretty sure I can,” Jamie replied with a smirk. “It’s actually quite easy, I’ll go in on Monday, tell the head teacher I’m done with school and that’s that.”

“No, I know you _can_ ,” Dani said with an exasperated roll of her eyes, “But you…you can’t! You have less than a year left. You’re going to ruin all the work you’ve done to get this far.”

“Trust me, I haven’t put in much work at all,” Jamie joked, “So don’t worry too much about that.”

“Can you take this seriously?” Dani snapped, feeling her frustration rise as Jamie resorted to her usual jokes and smug smiles. “We’re talking about your future, Jamie.”

“Yeah, we are,” Jamie agreed, her tone turning decidedly less amused. “And the best thing I can do is to start working to make some money. There’s no point in me continuing to stay in sixth form when I never planned on going to university anyway.”

“But you can finish your A levels and then you at least have them if you ever change your mind about university,” Dani protested.

“Believe me, I’m not gonna change my mind. Not only do I refuse to take out loans to pay for it, but it’s just not for me. There’s no degree I could get that would lead me to a career that would make me happier than something I can do without a degree. It’s not worth it to me.”

“Okay, but…” Dani trailed off as she tried to restructure her argument, “There were reasons you stayed for sixth form in the first place. Why give up on that when you’re only a few months from being done?”

“First of all, a few months is an understatement, there’s about eight months left,” Jamie pointed out. “And I told you that I only stayed for Mikey because I didn’t want him to transition to secondary school alone and go through the same crap I did. Yeah, he had a bit of a rough start, but he’s made some good friends and he’s actually fitting in at school. The bullying has all but stopped and he has people who have his back now. Most days, he’s embarrassed to have his big sister around making him look uncool to his friends…he doesn’t need me there anymore. And I couldn’t be happier to admit that.”

Dani knew that Jamie had a point. Mikey did seem to be adjusting well to the new school and always looked so happy in class. However, there continued to be a knot of apprehension in her stomach at the thought of Jamie dropping out of school.

“Are you doing this because of me?” Dani asked, the knot in her stomach tightening as she waited for an answer.

“What?”

“Are you dropping out because of me? Because I won’t date you while you’re a student?”

“Dani, this honestly has nothing to-” Jamie started but was cut off by Dani.

“Because I won’t go out with you if that’s why you’re doing this. I can’t be the reason you leave school, Jamie. It’s not worth it. _I’m_ not worth it. You can’t throw away your education just because you want to sleep with me.” Dani explained as she got up to pace around the room, her fear over the situation causing her to feel too restless to sit still.

“I’m not doing anything of the sort,” Jamie defended herself. “Look, I’m not going to sit here and lie and say that it hasn’t crossed my mind that working instead of going to school might lead to less complications between us, but-”

“I knew it!” Dani interrupted Jamie again. “Jamie, I can’t let you drop out of school! God, please just turn down the job and finish sixth form, okay? There will be other jobs once you finish your A levels. But at least finish out the year.”

“Good thing I don’t need you to ‘let’ me do anything,” Jamie shot back, her tone taking on an edge of irritation. She shifted so her feet were flat on the floor in front of the couch, her forearms rested on her thighs as she leaned forward, her gaze tracking Dani’s frantic pacing as best she could. “You’re not even listening to me. My decision to leave school has to do with what’s best for my future. I want that job and I don’t want to stay in school, taking courses I hate just to get some qualifications I don’t need. There are no upsides to me staying in school, but not taking this job could really set me back.”

Dani continued to pace the room as she listened. She heard what Jamie was saying but she couldn’t get rid of the fear that she was only making this choice so that there wouldn’t be any barriers to them being together. And while there was a part of her that was excited by the thought, a larger part of her was terrified of what people would think of her if they found out. She couldn’t stomach the thought of a student dropping out of school so they could date her or sleep with her or whatever it was Jamie wanted to do.

Another part of her that she didn’t even want to listen to, but was there nonetheless, worried about when she and Jamie would get to see each other if they weren't crossing paths at school in the hallways, on the school grounds, after the final bell. Who knew if Jamie’s work schedule would even be compatible with Dani’s schedule and it could limit the already minimal time they had to spend together.

“I just think it’s a really, really bad idea,” Dani said as she stubbornly shook her head. “I hear what you’re saying, but it’s only a matter of months and then you have your A levels and then you can go and get a job and do whatever you want, but no one will be able to take away from you that sense of accomplishment that you finished sixth form.”

“I don’t care about that,” Jamie shot back. “I’m not going to stay and make myself miserable at school for several more months just for a sense of accomplishment. Especially when I can get even greater satisfaction from actually working and making some money so I can get my life started.”

Dani turned and planted her hands on her hips. She wanted to believe Jamie, but her words were doing nothing to ease the fear inside Dani that she was to blame for all of this. That people would think she’d made Jamie drop out so they could be together.

The next words tumbled out of her mouth before she could really consider them, “Fine, but you should know I’m not going to be with you if you drop out.”

Jamie held her gaze as a long silence stretched between them. Dani hated that she’d delivered such an extreme ultimatum, but she hoped that Jamie would just agree to stay in school and the horrible knot of anxiety in her stomach would finally go away.

Eventually, Jamie was the one to break the silence, “Have to say I’m disappointed to hear that. But it doesn’t change my decision, because that’s not why I’m leaving.”

Dani was surprised that Jamie hadn’t changed her mind about leaving, but she still wasn’t sure she believed her and she refused to back down. “Okay then.”

Jamie continued to hold her gaze and Dani found it increasingly difficult to not look away from the frustration, hurt, and sadness reflected in the other woman’s eyes.

“Right, guess I should be going,” Jamie said as she stood up, ending the silent staring match between them. “Since apparently spending time with a drop out is so far beneath you.”

“Jamie,” Dani scolded as an embarrassed blush covered her cheeks, “You know that isn’t what I was saying.”

Jamie gave a little snort as she made her way towards the door. “I know this might be hard for an American to grasp, but sixth form is optional. Lots of people never even attempt it and just finish after year eleven. Not finishing sixth form doesn’t make me lazy or an underachieving idiot or anything that you might be thinking.”

“I never said that,” Dani protested as she followed Jamie towards the door. “I know you’re smart and I would never think less of you for not finishing sixth form.”

Jamie whirled around to face her, “I kinda have to think that’s what it is, otherwise it would mean that you’ve just been messing with me this whole time. That you got a thrill out of leading me on but never wanted more than that. And that would be so incredibly cruel and vile that it’s almost better to think you’re just another elitist.”

“It’s not like that!” Dani insisted, trying to get Jamie to understand that she would never lead her on just for the fun of it. She wanted Jamie more than she was willing to admit, even to herself.

“Then what’s it like?” Jamie challenged, her gaze boring angrily into Dani as she crossed her arms.

Dani floundered for the appropriate words. She didn’t know how to convey all of her fears and worries in a logical and coherent explanation. “It’s just…easier if you stay and finish the year.”

“Easier?” Jamie repeated as her eyebrow quirked up at the unexpected word. “For who?” She questioned before shaking her head in frustration. “If easy is what you want, I’ll make it easy – you don’t have to feel bad for the crap you’ve been pulling, I’ll let you off the hook. You’ve made it clear you have no interest in pursuing this any further, so we’ll just both go our separate ways then, yeah?”

“Jamie,” Dani choked out as the brunette turned to open the door. She wanted to make Jamie understand that going their separate ways was definitely not what she wanted. It was probably the last thing she wanted. However, the words got all jumbled up in her head because she just couldn’t properly express how much she truly wanted Jamie. It had been a secret she’d kept so hidden that now when she most needed to reveal it, she couldn’t find the right words.

“It’s fine,” Jamie huffed out, her clipped tone suggesting it really wasn’t fine as she stormed out of the flat. 

Dani watched her go as tears pooled in her eyes, silently willing Jamie to turn around and come back. It wasn’t until she heard the distant sound of the front door of the building shutting that the tears really began to fall and she quickly closed her front door before her neighbors could see.

She slowly sank down to the floor and wiped the tears from her face. Dani cursed herself for her inability to properly express her concerns and her feelings for Jamie, but it was all just so new. She’d never given herself permission to really explore how she felt, so she supposed she couldn’t fault herself for not being able to express it perfectly with only a moment’s notice.

As she continued to replay the events of the afternoon while taking deep breaths so as not to break down into sobs, the only thought that Dani could find some shred of comfort in was that after their argument, she could be sure whatever decision Jamie ending up making about her future wouldn’t be because of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that happened.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I'm sorry for all the broken hearts last chapter - I hope you all can forgive me! 
> 
> But wow am I blown away by the response to the last chapter. Thank you to everyone who left kudos and comments! It seems like most of you were on board with the angst and thought it was much needed. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter. As promised, it's quite a bit longer than the last one!

The following week was absolute hell. Despite it being the week leading up to one of Dani’s favorite holidays, she found it nearly impossible to get into the Halloween spirit. The events of Saturday played on a continuous loop through her mind and her emotional state fluctuated from upset to guilty to sad to angry to confused and then back again. 

The day after it happened, Dani kept herself busy by giving her flat the most thorough cleaning it had seen since she’d moved in. After that, she’d gone out and run every errand she could think of just to keep herself occupied and her mind off of Jamie. She’d been exhausted by the end of the day but unfortunately, her brain had still replayed the argument throughout most of her attempts to stay busy.

Monday rolled around and Dani managed to make it through her classes despite feeling absolutely miserable. She spent much of the evening sitting by the phone going through the same series of actions over and over again. First, she’d stare at the phone for a while, hoping it would ring. Then she would lift the handset and recite Jamie’s number from the slip of paper in front of her, willing herself to have the courage to actually dial. After a while, she’d realize that if Jamie was trying to call her, it might not go through if she was holding the handset, despite the fact she had call waiting, and she’d slam the handset down in hopes the phone would start ringing. Then after a few minutes, she’d get up and pace her apartment, looking for something to do before the pattern would start again.

On Tuesday afternoon, she forced herself to go to the mall two towns over just to occupy her time and prevent a repeat of the pathetic display she’d exhibited the night before. She needed to buy a costume for Owen’s party, but found she had surprisingly little enthusiasm for the task. Nevertheless, it took up most of her evening – though she ended up going to bed just as unhappy as the last three nights.

By Wednesday, Dani was getting desperate for some sign of Jamie. Despite wandering the halls and grounds during all of her breaks, she had yet to catch sight of the brunette. Which either meant she had dropped out, or she was just avoiding her. When her fourth period class was dismissed for the dinner break, Dani found herself acting on impulse before she could think through her actions. 

“Mikey, can I talk to you for a minute?”

The boy glanced over from where he’d been following one of his friends towards the door. He paused before nodding and heading over to the desk with a nervous smile. 

Dani felt bad when she took in his expression as she knew it wasn’t usually a good thing to be held after class. “I won’t keep you long. I just wanted to check in to make sure everything was going okay.”

“Yeah, everything’s been fine,” Mikey replied, his nervousness replaced by a look of confusion.

“No more bullying?” Dani asked as she grasped to find a plausible excuse for why she’d asked him to stay back.

He shook his head at the comment, “No, they’ve been leaving me alone.”

“Good,” Dani said as she gave him a smile, it was forced, just like every other smile she’d had during the week. She fiddled with her pen as she wondered how to ask about what she really wanted to know. “And your sister, Jamie. I know she was in trouble with the head teacher the other week, is she doing okay?” She held her student’s gaze and hoped that Mikey wasn’t good at reading emotions from facial expressions.

“She’s fine,” he replied as he glanced towards the doorway where his friend was still waiting for him to head to the dining hall.

Dani noticed the distracted glance and was hit by a wave of shame. She shouldn’t be dragging Mikey into this and keeping him from his friends just because she’d messed things up with Jamie. It was entirely inappropriate to be using him to try to find out how his sister was doing. 

“Right, well that’s good to hear. Anyway, I just wanted to check in. I’m glad you’re doing okay. You can go to dinner now,” she said in a rush and watched as the boy gave her a smile and nod before hurrying off to join his friend. Once he was gone, Dani dropped her head onto her folded arms on her desk. She desperately needed to get herself together before she could complicate her life even further by bringing more innocent people into her mess.

Thursday came and Dani found herself more upset than ever. She knew a large part of her down mood on that day was caused by the very realistic and extremely not school appropriate dream she’d had of Jamie the night before. Although the details of the dream were long gone from her memory, she remembered the way she’d woken up feeling not quite satisfied but oh so excited only for her happiness to immediately vanish when she realized she was alone, that Jamie was not in her bed, and that the object of her affections might never want to see her again. Her bitterness over her dream being so far removed from reality stayed on her mind all through the day and she purposely stayed up late watching horror movies, knowing that even nightmares of scary clowns or possessed dolls would be preferable to waking from another dream of Jamie and being filled with that overwhelming feeling of sadness, guilt, and longing all over again.

Dani was honestly surprised she made it all the way to Friday before her friends finally brought up her drastic shift in mood.

“Is everything alright?” Rebecca asked during a pause in their usual dinnertime chatter. Her gaze was fixed on Dani, who was merely shifting her food around on her plate. “You’ve seemed a little…off this week.”

Dani glanced up and noticed both Rebecca and Hannah were watching her with matching concerned expressions. “Yeah…yeah, I’m fine,” she said with a nod, even though she knew that wasn’t likely to reassure anyone. She racked her brain for a plausible excuse and when she found one she set her fork down and looked back up with a sheepish smile. “It’s just been kinda hard with Halloween coming up. It’s weird missing out on the usual holiday stuff back home. And my mom’s been laying on the guilt extra thick recently about me being in England.”

“I’ve heard that Halloween is celebrated a bit more in America than it is here,” Hannah said with a nod of understanding. “Do you have a lot of family traditions for the holiday?”

“A few, yeah,” Dani said with a nod. She didn’t want to elaborate that most of her favorite memories were neighborhood or school events and not much to do with her mother, who had been largely absent from the usual traditions like she was with the rest of Dani’s childhood. 

“Anyway, I’m sorry if I’ve been moody this week. I guess some weeks it’s still a bit of an adjustment.” Although she felt bad about lying, Dani knew she couldn’t open up about what was really bothering her. And she wasn’t about to insult the intelligence of her friends by insisting nothing was wrong.

“Perfectly understandable,” Rebecca said with a sympathetic smile. “I still have a hard time adjusting to living here and I only grew up a few hours south of Yorkshire. I can’t imagine how difficult it is getting used to an entirely different country.”

Dani returned her smile and dipped her head in a grateful nod. “It’s different, that’s for sure. But I really do love it here.” Even with the horrible week she’d been having, she knew the truth behind that statement was undeniable. Moving to Goldthorpe had been the best decision she’d made, even if Jamie was no longer a part of her life – though she desperately hoped that wouldn’t be the case.

Saturday finally arrived and Dani tried her hardest to put the memories that plagued her in the past so she could get excited for Owen’s party. Fortunately, all of her practice over the years of hiding how she truly felt and feigning happiness seemed to pay off and by the evening she found herself actually looking forward to the party.

Owen had explained that it wasn’t a school party, in fact, very few teachers were even invited seeing as most of the staff at Goldthorpe Academy tended to be older, socially withdrawn, and perpetually miserable. However, Owen had supplemented the guest list with friends he had made over the years, many of whom were traveling quite a ways to attend the annual event.

Owen had insisted that everyone dress up seeing as it was Halloween, so Dani had pulled together a Madonna costume from what she’d bought at the mall and what she had at home. Although several of her friends back in Iowa looked up to the pop star as a fashion icon and did their best to emulate her look on a regular basis, Dani found Madonna’s style very different from her own and thus, much more suitable for Halloween than everyday dress.

She took one final look in the mirror and knew that with the all black ensemble – tank top, tulle skirt, leggings, gloves, and pumps, there was no mistaking who she was dressed as. Plus, she’d added a large cross necklace, more bracelets than she could count, and a black headband, which she placed carefully in her freshly curled hair. 

Before heading out the door, Dani took a deep breath and hoped that for one night she’d be able to keep her thoughts off of Jamie. She wondered if she’d meet someone tonight, someone attractive and single and with far less complications – however, that thought tugged painfully at something in her chest and she brushed it aside. Halloween was for fun, not romance.

When Dani arrived at Owen’s house, she thought for a moment that she had the wrong party. She’d been expecting thumping music, dim lights, tightly packed bodies, and spooky decorations filling the interior. However, what she walked into was a houseful of people in costumes wandering around the brightly lit and cheery space with wine glasses, making casual conversation with other guests. It looked almost like the cocktail hour leading up to a dinner party, if the theme for that party was unusual outfits. 

Before she could ask around to see if she did in fact have the right address, she saw Hannah making her way over to her. 

“Dani, you made it,” Hannah greeted with a smile as she approached the blonde. “Great outfit, I’m sure you’ll find there a lot of Madonna fans here.”

Dani grinned and felt a bit of relief that her costume was so recognizable even in the UK. “Thanks, I absolutely love your costume. You look incredible!” She stared in awe at the elaborate gown Hannah was wearing, it was deep purple velvet with gold embellishments. It was obvious from the costume she was supposed to be some sort of sorceress and Dani had a feeling it was probably a character from a novel, but she was too embarrassed to ask the librarian and admit she didn’t know which book it was from. If it was even from a book at all.

“Ah! You must be my lucky star,” Owen said as he joined the pair with a happy smile directed at Dani, “I’m so glad you could make it.”

Dani instantly picked up on the lyric to the Madonna song and was pleased that so far she was two for two with her costume being recognized. “Thank you so much for inviting me,” Dani enthused and took a good look at his costume. He was dressed like an athlete with a medal around his neck and a loaf of bread under his arm. “I like your costume.”

Owen’s grin widened and Hannah playfully rolled her eyes in anticipation of whatever was about to come out of his mouth. “Thanks, it’s always been a point of pride to be the breadwinner,” he said with a jovial wink.

A chuckle escaped Dani as she caught on to the pun and she shook her head in amusement. “Wow, I’m not even going to ask how long it took you to come up with that.”

“You don’t like it?” Owen asked as he glanced down, “That’s too bad, because I spent a lot of dough on it.”

Dani laughed again, this time joined by Hannah. She could feel her bad mood genuinely lifting for the first time in weeks.

“Come on, let’s go and get a drink before he can come up with any more,” Hannah said as she steered Dani in the direction of the kitchen. The blonde caught the eye contact between Hannah and Owen as they passed and she wondered if tonight might be the night her two friends actually acted on their obvious feelings for one another.

After each getting a glass of wine, Hannah and Dani made their way to an empty corner of the sitting room where they could talk while Owen continued to flit around the party, greeting newly arrived guests and making small talk with those spread out around the house.

“Is Rebecca coming?” Dani asked as she glanced around the room, finding that she didn’t recognize anyone else at the party.

“No, I believe she’s in London with Peter for the weekend,” Hannah explained, her displeasure obvious in her expression as she took a sip of her wine.

“She needs to realize that she can do so much better than him,” Dani said with a sigh. “But I guess we’ve done what we can for now and all we can do is support her and try to be good friends. I just really hope he doesn’t start a fight so she can enjoy the holiday.”

“Me too,” Hannah agreed, “She works so hard – both with the students and just trying to keep Peter happy. She deserves to have fun this weekend.”

Dani nodded in agreement as she took a sip from her glass before deciding to switch to a slightly less dreary topic. “So, do you know a lot of the people here?”

“Some of them,” Hannah explained as she glanced around, “I’ve met several of Owen’s friends over the years at his previous parties and some when they’re in town for a visit. He’s very popular and it always feels like I see new faces every year even though this is the fourth year I’ve been coming to his Halloween party.”

“He does make friends easily,” Dani said as she watched the way Owen effortlessly navigated between groups of people and conversations as he passed out appetizers. “Are the parties usually like this?”

“Yes, I suppose so,” Hannah said as she glanced around. “Is it not what you were expecting?”

“No, I mean…well, no,” Dani admitted, although she was quick to try and explain she wasn’t trying to pass judgment on the party. “Halloween parties in America are a little different. At least the ones I went to. They play spooky music and have themed food, a lot of candy of course, and sometimes there’s games or haunted houses and things like that. And in college you take that and add lots of alcohol, louder music, and people crammed into a house dancing. But this is nice, it’s a lot…quieter and more civilized than what I’m used to.”

Hannah chuckled at Dani’s assessment of the party. “You could probably find parties like that somewhere in town, but I’m afraid any party of Owen’s is centered around food and good conversation. You might not find many of the things you’re used to seeing at Halloween parties, but I doubt you’ve ever been to a party with as delicious of food.”

“I believe you,” Dani agreed as they watched Owen make his way over with a tray. 

“Ladies,” Owen greeted with a smile, though Dani didn’t miss the way his gaze almost immediately focused on Hannah. “Can I interest you in a smoked salmon and garlic herb cheese blini?”

“I can’t say I’ve ever had one, but sure,” Dani said as she plucked one of the appetizers from the tray and took a bit. Her eyes widened and she looked up at Owen, “Oh my god, this is the best thing I’ve ever had.”

Hannah chuckled at her reaction as she took a bit of her own canapé and Owen gave Dani a pleased smile. “Just wait, this is only the first round of canapés and I do believe they get better as we go. I’d hate to think it’s all downhill for you after this.”

“I’m sure I’ll love everything,” Dani promised and she and Hannah watched as Owen took his leave to continue serving the other guests. “Is he always this busy at his own parties?”

“Yes, from what I’ve seen,” Hannah commented as her gaze followed him around the room. “I do think he enjoys it though. He could just as easily have the food set up in a room and let his guests serve themselves so he doesn’t have to make the rounds, but I think he likes seeing everyone’s reaction to his food. He puts so much work into making everything and I think the payoff is seeing his friends enjoy it all.”

Dani couldn’t help the smile on her face as she listened to Hannah; the way her friend spoke about Owen was filled with so much warmth, admiration, and affection that it took nearly every ounce of self-control she had not to talk Hannah into expressing those feelings directly to Owen. She knew the two of them were making their way towards something, slowly but surely, each overcoming their own personal obstacles at their own pace. 

Eventually, they abandoned their private corner so Hannah could take Dani around and introduce her to the people she knew. Dani found herself thoroughly enjoying the company of Owen’s friends, though perhaps not quite as much as she enjoyed the trays of appetizers Owen kept bringing around. 

By the time Owen was passing around dessert, Dani was surprised to find it was barely eight o’clock. Even if the party carried on for another couple of hours, she was likely to be home far earlier than she was used to on Halloween. She also found that being surrounded by so many couples was starting to make her feel lonely. Even more than that, she was having a hard time ignoring the nagging feeling of guilt over how she had handled things with Jamie the previous Saturday. It had been a full week since she had seen her, the longest she’d gone without seeing her or talking to her since they’d met, and it was definitely taking a toll on Dani.

She tried to distract herself from the return of the negative feelings that had been looming over her all week as Owen approached with a tray of tarts. 

“Wait, where’s your costume?” Dani asked as she looked at the relatively plain ensemble he was now wearing. She took a small pumpkin tart from the tray and her eyes nearly rolled back into her head as the flaky pastry melted in her mouth.

“People seemed to get a bit fed up with it,” Owen explained, although the twinkle in his eye indicated that there was something else coming. “So, I figured it was time to go back to the drawing board.” With a cheeky grin, he turned to make his way to the next group of people, allowing Dani to catch a glimpse the board and canvas that were strapped to his back. 

“You can do better!” Dani called out after him, although the laugh that followed betrayed her amusement with the pun.

Although she tried to maintain her focus on the party, Dani found herself getting increasingly caught up in her thoughts and knew it was only a matter of time before Hannah would call her out on it. The last thing she wanted to do was explain what was going on in her head, so when the first group of people began making their exit, Dani decided to take her leave as well, bidding Hannah and Owen goodnight and thanking the latter for inviting her before she slipped out into the cold night.

It was only a fifteen-minute walk from Owen’s house to her flat and Dani welcomed the opportunity to let her happy front slip away so she could look as miserable as she felt. She knew the only thing that would make her feel better was to see Jamie and make things right. However, she wasn’t sure that Jamie would even be willing to hear her out and give her the chance to apologize. 

As she approached her building, she thought about the phone number she’d spent nearly her entire Monday night staring at. She could always give Jamie a call to try to set up a time to meet. There was a chance, maybe even a very likely chance, that Jamie wouldn’t want to see her. However, Dani didn’t let herself get too caught up in that concern as she made her way up the stairs to her flat. 

After letting herself into her place, Dani’s gaze immediately fell on the phone. It was late, nearly nine, and a holiday, so Jamie probably had plans and was out enjoying her night. It would be best to call some other time when it was an appropriate hour.

However, the rational reasons of why not to call were swept away as Dani took a seat at her table and grabbed the handset. She quickly sorted through the materials piled next to the phone before she found the slip with Jamie’s number. There was only the briefest moment of hesitation before she was dialing the number and waiting anxiously as the phone began to ring.

“’Ey up?”

“What?” Dani asked instinctively at the unexpected greeting.

“Ah, you’re not from around here are you?” The masculine voice on the other end of the line responded before putting on a good imitation of a patient and overly formal butler, “You’ve reached the Taylor residence, how may I help you?”

Dani’s eyes were wide in shock as she listened to the voice she didn’t recognize. Fortunately, it was too deep to be Mikey’s voice, but it could be his father. Panic began to rise in Dani and she regretted her decision to make the call, “Hi, uh, I think I have the wrong number. Sorry about that.” She quickly hung up the phone and dropped her head onto her folded arms on the table. 

She didn’t get too far into berating herself for ignoring her conscience and calling Jamie late at night when the phone began to ring. Dani’s head shot up and she stared at the phone for a long moment before nervously reaching out to pick up the handset.

“Hello?”

“Did you just try to call me?”

The sound of Jamie’s voice sent a shockwave through Dani and she thought about just how much she’d missed it over the past week. However, as soon as her initial surprise and delight wore off, she was left with her nerves and a bit of confusion. 

“How did you know?”

Jamie let out a chuckle, though it was a mere ghost of her usual one. “My mate said some nervous American called and claimed they had the wrong number…so I thought it might have been you. Wishful thinking perhaps, but it seems I was right.”

Dani felt her concern ease slightly as Jamie said it might have been wishful thinking on her end. It gave her hope that maybe Jamie wanted to see her and talk to her too. “I, uh, just wanted to call and see what you were up to.”

“What I’m up to?” Jamie repeated back. Dani couldn’t fault her for sounding so surprised given how they’d left things when they’d last spoke. Nevertheless, she decided to just forge ahead with her explanation

“Yeah, you know, it’s Halloween and I didn’t know if you had any fun plans to celebrate the holiday. I guess you have friends over, or a friend, at least.” Dani wasn’t entirely sure what she was saying, but she found it easier to nervously ramble than to just tell Jamie she wanted to call because she missed her.

“I have some friends over,” Jamie confirmed, “We were just watching horror films and then we were going to head out to the pub.”

“That sounds like fun,” Dani said as she wondered who all was over at Jamie’s. Her stomach twisted as she pictured Jamie hanging out with a girl, doing her part to move on after last week. 

“Do you have any fun plans for the night?” Jamie directed the question back at her, still sounding confused over the unexpected topic of conversation.

“Yeah, I went to a party at Owen’s house. I just got back actually. It was fun…the food was amazing, of course. But it…it was just different from Halloween parties that I’m used to. Don’t get me wrong, I had a great time, but it just didn’t really feel like Halloween. It felt…off.” She wanted to continue exploring that thought, to admit that part of what made it feel so off was because she and Jamie weren’t speaking and she couldn’t fully relax and enjoy herself while things were so weird between them.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Jamie replied. A long silence followed and Dani could tell Jamie was still trying to figure out why she had called. 

Dani was trying to work up the courage to apologize but found that it was so much harder than she expected over the phone. She wished she could see Jamie, knowing that it would bring her a bit of comfort even if Jamie was still upset with her. The thought of seeing Jamie in person caused her next question to escape her before she could properly think it through. “Would it be okay if I joined you?”

“You want to join us?” The surprise in Jamie’s voice was warranted given how they had left things. However, it didn’t help to ease Dani’s nerves. 

“Um, yeah…if that’s okay?”

“Yeah,” Jamie replied, perhaps a little too quickly to pass as casual. “I mean, if you want to. It’s just watching films and then grabbing a pint with some of my mates, nothing too special.”

Dani grinned before she started to realize the potential problems with the plan she just suggested, “Is Mikey there?”

“Nah, he’s out with some of his friends trick-or-treating.”

Dani nodded, relieved that her student wouldn’t be around. “Any other students from Goldthorpe?” She didn’t like the way her thoughts immediately turned to Gemma, she wasn’t sure how she would react if Jamie were to confirm that Gemma was one of the friends she’d invited over.

“No students from Goldthorpe,” Jamie replied, her voice sounding a little tight as if the mention of school was bringing back unpleasant memories of their argument.

“You’re sure it’s okay?” Dani asked, wanting to make sure she wasn’t imposing.

“Yes, Poppins,” Jamie replied, her tone playfully exasperated. The use of the nickname helped to erase Dani’s remaining doubts. “The only thing is that since it’s Halloween, some of my friends insist on wearing fancy dress.”

“Fancy dress?” Dani questioned as she looked down at her outfit. She wasn’t sure how formal this evening was expected to be or if her Madonna look would suffice.

“I believe in America you would say ‘costume’,” Jamie clarified.

“Oh, I’m actually still in costume from earlier,” Dani said as she relaxed at the clarification.

“Right, you’re all set then,” Jamie confirmed, “I’ll give you my address and you can meet us here, yeah?”

Dani agreed and wrote down the address as well as Jamie’s instructions on how to get there from the bus station. After ending the call, she hurried to the bathroom to brush her teeth and fix her appearance before grabbing her coat and purse and heading back out the door. 

Jamie’s directions were clear enough that Dani had no trouble finding the house. Even though she’d been there once before, she was excited to finally see the inside. Or perhaps, she was just so excited to see Jamie again that it made everything else about the evening seem exciting too.

Dani felt both nervous and eager as she approached the front of the house. Although it seemed that Jamie didn’t harbor any ill will towards her, she still wanted to clear the air between them. She raised a hand to knock on the front door before taking a step back on the stoop to wait. 

Less than a minute passed before the door was opened to reveal Jamie in the entryway. 

“Hey, you made good time.”

Dani nodded, although no words came out as she stared at Jamie’s face. She was aware that she had missed Jamie, but she hadn’t realized just how much until she found the only thing she could do was look at her while relief and excitement flowed through her veins. She’d been so worried all week that Jamie might not want to see her again. Worried that she might truly be done with her. But now, here she was in front of Dani, giving her a small smile instead of the angry frown Dani probably deserved.

“You alright?” Jamie asked as she took a step forward, her brow furrowing slightly as she looked at Dani with concern.

“Y-yeah,” Dani said quickly with a nod, “It’s just good to see you.” She explained as a slight blush tinted her cheeks and she hoped her flushed face wasn’t too noticeable in the dim glow from the outside porch light. 

“Good to see you too,” Jamie said as her gaze wandered over Dani. “Really good,” she added as her usual smirk fell into place. “Madonna, I take it?”

Dani glanced down at the bits of her costume that were peeking out from under her coat. “Yeah,” she said as she glanced back up, pleased that Jamie had been able to tell even though half her costume was covered. “Are you a fan?”

“I am now,” Jamie murmured before shaking her head and glancing up to meet Dani’s amused gaze. “Do you wanna come in? My friends are just finishing a movie and then we’ll head out.”

“I was actually hoping I could talk to you alone for a minute,” Dani asked as a rush of nerves swept in to replace her smug reaction to Jamie’s appreciation for her costume choice.

Jamie nodded and stepped fully outside, shutting the front door behind her to give them additional privacy. 

Dani took a deep breath to calm her nerves before launching into her apology. “I just wanted to let you know how sorry I am for how things went last week. I had no right to react the way I did. It’s your life and your decision and I’m sorry for how I behaved.”

Jamie nodded after the apology was finished. Her expression was frustratingly neutral, not revealing how she felt as she listened. “I appreciate the apology. I know you were just trying to look out for me.” She paused and glanced down at the ground for a moment before meeting Dani’s gaze again. “It wasn’t right of me to just spring that on you out of nowhere. It probably would have helped if I’d given a heads up that I’d been thinking of dropping out of sixth form for a while. I’ve been considering it weekly since I started, actually, but this is the first time I had a real plan in place. A plan I was excited about and it felt like it was the right decision to make rather than just a decision I was making because I was tired of the coursework. But I get that it must have seemed really out of the blue, and I’m sorry for that.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Dani insisted. “I mean, yes, it might have helped a little bit if I knew it was something you’d thought about before you even met me…but at the end of the day, it was your decision to make and I shouldn’t have tried so hard to make you stay in school.”

Jamie cocked her head to the side as she looked at Dani, “Just out of curiosity, why did you want me to stay so badly?”

Dani dropped her head guilty as she tried to formulate an answer to the question. “I think mostly I was worried you were dropping out because of me. And I just got really worried about what people would think if they found out. I just…I don’t ever want to be a bad influence on you.”

A chuckle escaped Jamie, causing Dani to look up in surprise at the unexpected reaction. “I don’t think you could be a bad influence on anyone if you tried,” Jamie reassured her. “But certainly not on me. In fact, you’ve been a really good influence on me.”

“I have?” Dani asked, feeling a small amount of hope and a larger amount of joy at the words. 

“If it wasn’t for you, I probably wouldn’t have taken the time to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. I would have wasted a good bit of it, if not all of it, just working a dead-end job that didn’t make me happy because I didn’t think I was worth anything more than that. But for some reason, you think I have potential and deserve to be happy and you got me thinking that maybe I’m worth more than I thought.”

Dani exhaled slowly, feeling a rush of emotions swelling up inside as she listened to Jamie. She couldn’t believe Jamie was crediting her with so much and it nearly broke her heart to think that Jamie would have settled for a life she despised because she didn’t realize her own self-worth. “Jamie, you do have potential and you definitely deserve to be happy and you’re worth so, so much.” As an English teacher, she knew she could have phrased everything a little more eloquently but she was desperate to just convey how much she believed in the woman before her.

“That last part makes me sound like a prostitute,” Jamie pointed out with a smirk, “Though I suppose if I was one, I’m glad I’d be worth a lot.”

Dani laughed as the joke cut through the heaviness of the moment and effectively kept her tears at bay. She was still sad about how little Jamie had thought of herself before she had come along and wanted to make sure she never felt that way again.

“You’re incredible, Jamie,” she said as she stepped closer and wrapped the brunette in a tight hug. “I’m glad you figured out what you want to do because you deserve to be happy every day of your life.”

It only took a moment before Jamie’s arms wound around her waist to return the hug. Dani marveled at how good it felt to be pressed so close to Jamie. The warmth radiating through her, both from her own swell of emotions as well as Jamie’s body heat, effectively protected her from the cold autumn evening. 

Even though Dani wanted to stay in the embrace for a very long time, eventually she pulled back to put a bit of space between them. “So, did you decide to drop out then?”

Jamie nodded, her expression turning hesitant as she answered. “I met with the head teacher on Monday to make it official. Started my job on Wednesday.”

Instead of the fear and anxiety she’d experienced the week before, Dani now found herself feeling calm and happy, knowing that this was what Jamie wanted. “And how’s the new job going?” She asked with a smile, which Jamie slowly returned as she visibly relaxed.

“Pretty great, actually,” she admitted, her smile growing even wider. “There’s still a lot to get used to and a lot to learn, but I kinda love it. Harry’s great and the other blokes in the shop aren’t half bad. I’ve been learning about a bunch of the garden equipment since I have to know the inventory well enough to sell the shite at some point.”

Dani found that her grin nearly matched Jamie’s as she listened to her talk. “That’s fantastic Jamie, I’m so happy.” She paused and shyly tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “I’m glad you didn’t listen to that idiot teacher who tried to convince you to stay at a school you hate.”

“Hey ease up, that teacher’s not half bad,” Jamie said as she caught Dani’s hand and tugged her closer. “I think she’s just gonna miss seeing me around school and checking me out every chance she gets.”

Dani let out a laugh and shook her head, “Okay so I may have been a little worried about not getting to see you as much, but only a little!”

“Come on, Poppins. You should know by now how persistent I am. No way I was gonna let having a new job get in the way of seeing you,” Jamie reassured her as she squeezed their still clasped hands.

“You are very persistent,” Dani agreed as her thumb brushed gently over the back of Jamie’s hand. She realized that with Jamie no longer attending Goldthorpe Academy, there wasn’t anything that was really stopping them from being together.

As if reading her mind, Jamie spoke up, her voice quiet and a little unsure, “Do you still have that thing about not dating drop outs, or is there any room for an exception?”

Dani let out an embarrassed huff, “You know that wasn’t what I meant, but I’m still sorry I said it.”

“So is that a ‘yes’ to the exception part, then?” Jamie asked hopefully.

Before Dani could answer, the sound of the front door opening caught both women by surprise and Dani automatically released their hands and took a step back.

“Jamie, you out here?” Called a voice before a man appeared in the doorway, “We finished the movie, we’re headed off t’pub.”

“Right, grab my coat, will ya?” She asked as she glanced back at Dani. Her expression still had a hint of longing, but was overshadowed by a look of disappointment at having been interrupted. “You still up for joining us for a pint?”

Dani nodded eagerly as she was nowhere near ready to say goodbye to Jamie. Her reaction caused a smirk to form on Jamie’s face as she muttered something along the lines of ‘too fucking cute’ as she turned back to face her friends who were spilling out of the house. 

“Who do we have here?” One of the guys asked as he handed Jamie her jacket without looking away from Dani.

“Dani, this is Ian, Leo, and Alison,” Jamie introduced her friends. Dani recognized that it was the same trio who had been with Jamie that night at the pub when she’d going to play pool with Peter and Rebecca. She could also tell that Leo and Alison appeared to be a couple given their clasped hands and 50’s inspired couples costume. Ian had been the one asking about her identity and he continued to check her out now that he had a name to work with. 

“Great outfit, Dani,” Ian complimented as his gaze swept over the bits of the costume he could see under her coat.

“Thanks,” Dani replied, although she wasn’t entirely sure he could tell what her costume was as he didn’t say it. “And you’re…Marty McFly?” She guessed as she took in his casual ensemble.

“You got it,” he said with a grin. “Smart, beautiful, and American. Where have you been hiding her?” He directed his question to Jamie as he finally tore his gaze from Dani.

“Far away from you,” Jamie shot back. “Leave her alone or you’ll scare her off before we get to the pub.” 

Ian held his hands up and gave his friend a playful grin before turning to lead the way. The others began to follow, with Jamie and Dani bringing up the rear. 

Now that she’d cleared the air between them and had that off her mind, Dani took the opportunity to properly have a look at Jamie. “I thought you said everyone had to be in ‘fancy dress’,” she said as she took in the brunette’s choice of clothes.

“I am!” Jamie protested as she glanced over at Dani.

Dani’s brow furrowed as she let her gaze wander over Jamie once again, but the boots, t-shirt, overalls, and flannel over top seemed to be a casual everyday outfit more than a costume. The bandana tying her brown curls back, while adorable, also did not provide any insight. “So…what, or who, are you supposed to be?”

“A farmer,” Jamie announced proudly as she pulled a tiny packet of pepper seeds from her pocket.

Dani laughed and shook her head, “Wow, you’ve taken laziness to a whole new level.”

“She does this every year,” Alison said as she glanced over her shoulder at the pair. “She always seems to outdo herself for how little money and effort she can put into a costume.”

“Well excuse me, not all of us had money to buy a pre-made one from the store every year,” Jamie pointed out, although her tone was light and teasing. 

“What and you think we’re all members of the royal family?” Leo shot back with a laugh. “We’re just creative with what we have available…Jamie, on the other hand, seems to enjoy looking like she put absolutely no effort in.”

“Because I didn’t,” Jamie replied with a proud smile. “Grabbed this out of the closet about five minutes before you lot came over and found the seeds in the neighbors’ shed out back.”

“I take back what I said about you having potential,” Dani teased, getting an amused smirk from Jamie.

“Too late to take it back now, Poppins. Now I know how highly you think of me.”

Dani couldn’t help her smile as she shifted closer to playfully nudge Jamie’s shoulder with her own. She was glad that they were able to slip back into their usual banter after the events of the previous week. 

Although she apologized for her actions, she knew the real reason they’d been able to seamlessly shift back into their old dynamic was because of Jamie. Jamie didn’t hold a grudge; she didn’t want to make Dani pay for reacting selfishly. She’d been kind and gracious and understanding – everything that Dani knew her to be. 

Dani realized this must be what it was like to have someone truly care about her. Eddie would always take her mistakes and hold on to them, waiting for any possible chance to bring them back up so that he could have the upper hand. He would go off and pout until she approached him with an apology and then he would slowly draw out his forgiveness, making her feel guilty every step of the way. Even then, he might bring up past mistakes weeks or months later just to make her feel guilty all over again.

But Jamie…Jamie had seen through the words that were spoken out of fear. Maybe not at that moment, but it seemed like Jamie had done her own reflecting over the week. And in that time, she’d seen past the comments because she knew who Dani truly was. So by the time Dani had finally approached with a genuine and much-needed apology, it was as if Jamie had already decided to forgive her and put the argument behind them. Jamie didn’t feel a need to rub Dani’s face in her mistake; she didn’t get some twisted satisfaction from making Dani feel guilty. And Dani realized that was how things should be when you really care about a person – you want to move forward and be stronger together, not stay stuck in the memories of past arguments and regrets.

Dani glanced over and caught Jamie’s eye. She gave her a warm, happy smile that she knew did little to convey just how glad she was to be here with her. Although she still didn’t quite have the words to express what she was feeling for the other woman, she knew in this moment she was grateful, so very grateful, that Jamie had wandered into her life and was so stubborn about staying a part of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weird place to end it, I know. But I wrote a 16,000 word chapter and needed to split it somewhere. 
> 
> Next up, we have a nearly 9,000 word chapter starting off with a fun night out at the pub. It's one of my favorite chapters I've written so far and I hope you all will enjoy it just as much!
> 
> A couple of shoutouts:  
> Thank you to colour_outside_the_lines for helping me with my Yorkshire slang. It is much appreciated!  
> Also a shoutout to paperkites3 on tumblr - still blown away by the weird coincidence of the smoked salmon blini
> 
> As always, please feel free to comment and let me know your thoughts! And check out my tumblr if you want to say hi and chat. I absolutely love this fandom and everyone who has taken the time to read this fic!


	15. Chapter 15

When the group arrived at their destination, Ian and Jamie split off towards the bar to get drinks while Leo and Alison headed toward a table. Dani planned on going with Jamie to order a drink, but the brunette had waved her off to join the others, insisting that she had it covered with a wink that caused butterflies to erupt in Dani’s stomach.

Dani joined Leo and Alison and settled into some polite small talk. Eventually the others joined them with drinks for the table and the conversation really got going. Dani learned that Jamie, Ian, and Leo had all known each other since they were young, having grown up within a block of each other. Alison was Ian’s cousin and therefore had met Leo a few times when they were younger, but they hadn’t started dating until they were in secondary school. Dani was relieved to find out they had all attended the Catholic school down the road, with Jamie being the only one who had attended Goldthorpe.

It was obvious there was a story about why Jamie hadn’t attended the local Catholic school when so many of her friends did. However, she knew with how guarded Jamie had been about her childhood, now was not the time to ask.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Dani was the focus of the group’s attention throughout the night. They’d all known each other for years and she was the bright, shiny, new toy. Fortunately, they were much more interested in asking her questions about America and seemed less interested in what she was doing in England or how she and Jamie met. She happily fielded their questions about US pop culture, food, sports, and vehemently defended her home country any time a US vs. UK debate broke out.

Jamie, for her part, seemed to stay out of the debates, content to enjoy watching with a smirk as Dani defended ‘biscuit’ being the appropriate word for a delicious, soft doughy bread product and not a hard, flat cookie. Dani also adamantly claimed that the last letter of the alphabet was definitely pronounced ‘zee’ and never ‘zed’. And then the table dissolved into a fifteen-minute long debate about the proper name for various articles of clothing.

“It’s a tank top,” Dani insisted as she locked eyes with Ian.

“Vest top,” he shot back with a smug smile knowing he had the advantage of the rest of the table agreeing with him.

“No, a vest is what you’re wearing,” Dani said as she gestured to his puffy red vest.

“This is a gilet,” Ian replied, “Or I’d even accept waistcoat, but not a vest.”

“Jamie,” Dani said with a huff as she turned to face the woman seated next to her. She could tell from the way Jamie quickly met her gaze with a blank expression that she hadn’t been following the conversation, but she decided to ask anyway. “What do you call this?” She asked as she gestured to the tight black tank top that made up the top half of her Madonna costume.

Jamie’s gaze drifted over the garment and Dani noticed she seemed particularly drawn to the low cut of the top as she replied, “Fucking fabulous.”

“I’ll drink to that mate,” Ian said with a laugh as he held out his glass to Jamie.

“Alright, keep it in your pants,” Dani playfully chided as she rolled her eyes. She wasn’t sure exactly who she was directing the comment to, but she found she was less bothered by Jamie checking her out and making flirty comments.

Laughs echoed around the table and Dani was momentarily pleased that her scolding had earned such an amused reaction.

“Ah, pants, that’s another one!” Alison said with a grin, “I’m guessing by pants, you mean trousers, but honestly, it seems like ‘pants’ in the way we use it works just as well.”

Dani flushed as she remembered the difference between pants and trousers in England. She was a little disappointed to realize the group hadn’t been as amused by her comment as they were by her misuse of the word. “Oh, yeah.”

“I think pants still works,” Leo agreed with a grin, “And these two both definitely need to keep it in their pants.”

“Hey, why am I being lumped in with him?” Jamie asked as she thrusted a hand in Ian’s direction.

“Probably because you’re checking out your friend Dani just as much as I am,” Ian said with a grin as he finished his beer. “Looks like I’m gonna need a fresh one,” he observed with a disappointed frown as he set his glass down.

“Oh, this round’s on me,” Dani insisted as she stood up. Leo and Alison had bought the second round of drinks while Ian and Dani had been engaged in a long battle over the names of various food items, so she knew it was her turn to pay for drinks. She was also more than happy to escape the table for a moment given her flustered state after Ian’s comment.

Before anyone, specifically Jamie, could try to argue or try to pay, Dani headed off towards the bar. After ordering another round of pints, she leaned against the wood bar to wait. She couldn’t help but notice how content she was in this moment - out for drinks with a fun group of people and laughing more than she had in a long time. It reminded her of being back home with her college friends and she couldn’t help but be pleased that this is how her Halloween night had ended up.

As the glasses were placed on the bar, Dani quickly tried to figure out how to get them all back to the group without spilling or leaving any behind.

“Need help with that?”

She glanced over her shoulder to see someone from their group, though not the person she had expected.

“Yeah, that would be great actually,” she flashed a smile at Alison and stepped aside to let her closer to the bar.

As the two women carried the glasses back toward their table, Dani’s gaze landed on Jamie’s empty chair.

Alison seemed to notice her confused frown as she leaned in closer, “She just ran to the toilet. I think she’s been holding it in for ages, but she’s been too afraid to leave Ian alone with you.”

Dani glanced over at the joke and shook her head. She had noticed that Ian seemed particularly interested in her, but he’d also seemed to flirt with just about every woman who crossed his path. He’d been charming and playful, but had never crossed a line to make Dani feel uncomfortable, which she appreciated. She also had a feeling Jamie wouldn’t let anyone make her feel uncomfortable, which caused heat to rise to her cheeks as she reflected on how sweet Jamie had been the whole evening. She’d been mostly content to sit back and let Dani bond with her friends, but every so often had quietly checked in while the others were distracted to make sure she was doing okay.

“He seems harmless,” Dani replied as she and Amy paused to let a trail of drunk girls stumble by in front of them.

Alison nodded along with her assessment, “I highly doubt he’ll even make a pass at you. He just thinks you’re fit.”

Dani glanced down at her body, “Really? I mean, I guess I work out a little, but not much.”

A laugh escaped Alison as they continued cautiously making their way back towards the table. “Fit means hot.”

“Oh,” Dani replied as she caught on to yet another difference in language between the two countries.

“I’m surprised you haven’t heard that from Jamie,” Alison commented with a playful smirk.

“What – what do you mean?” Dani asked as she cut her gaze over to the other woman. She stopped walking and Alison paused as well to continue their conversation.

“Just that I figured Jamie would have called you that at least a dozen times by now. I mean, I’m not into women, but even I can admit you’re gorgeous. Or fit,” she added with a laugh.

“Thanks,” Dani said with a nervous chuckle, “But why do you think Jamie would have called me that?” She wondered what Jamie had said to her friends and if she’d revealed anything about her feelings for Dani.

Alison’s expression changed from confused to panicked in a matter of seconds. “Oh – oh my god. Do you not know that Jamie…” she trailed off as her gaze cut away nervously.

Dani caught on to what Alison was worried about and gave her a reassuring smile. “No, I know. I just didn’t realize she’d told you all about me and…maybe that she likes me or whatever.”

Alison exhaled in relief over not having unintentionally outed Jamie and then smirked at Dani. “She hasn’t said anything to us, but she doesn’t have to. We can all see the way she looks at you.” With that, she turned and continued on the way back to the table.

A smile played on Dani’s lips as she followed the other woman’s lead.

Not long after Dani and Alison had passed out pints and reclaimed their seats, Jamie returned to the table. Dani watched in amusement at the way Jamie sat in her chair – slouched down, leaned back, legs spread wide, and one arm on the table to grip her pint while the other draped across the back of Dani’s chair. It was such a Jamie way to sit that Dani couldn’t help to find it endearing. Even the arm draped over her chair, which she figured Jamie wasn’t even really aware she was doing, especially since Dani was leaning forward in her seat, far away from the back of the chair. She knew she could give Jamie a nudge or ask her to move it and Jamie would do so immediately. However, she found that she quite liked it there and picked up her glass before leaning back in her seat, feeling the soft material of Jamie’s flannel sleeve pressed against her bare shoulders and back.

Dani glanced over in time to seem the contact register on Jamie’s face. She watched as the brunette swallowed before taking notice of the fact that Dani was looking at her. “Sorry,” she mumbled as she began to remove her arm.

“It’s okay,” Dani reassured her before she could fully move her arm, “You can leave it.”

Jamie’s eyebrows lifted in surprise, but she didn’t argue as she shifted her arm back to drape over the chair.

“Alright, alright I know we should move on to safer topics – but this is the last one. Why do you insist on calling football ‘soccer’? You literally kick the ball with your foot. Foot…ball.” Leo said as he looked at Dani with fond amusement.

Dani playfully rolled her eyes. Although they all pretended to be exasperated by the differences between countries, she couldn’t deny that she’d had a fun time joking around with Jamie’s friends. “It’s soccer,” she replied with a shrug as she sipped her beer.

“Okay, but it’s not even that important of a sport to you – you have your baseball and basketball and American football. At least just admit that football is a better name for it than soccer,” Ian countered as he joined in the debate.

“Absolutely not,” Dani said with a shake of her head, “I’ll have you know that it’s very important to me. I played soccer in high school.”

“Really?” Jamie asked as she glanced over in surprise. “I didn’t know that.”

“There’s a lot you don’t know about me,” Dani shot back, the comment coming out a tad bit more flirtatious than she had intended. “I was on the varsity team my junior and senior year.”

“More meaningless words,” Ian teased with a chuckle.

“I’d have pegged you for a cheerleader,” Jamie said as she ignored Ian and fixed Dani with her usual smirk.

“Oh, I was,” Dani replied with her own smirk as Jamie’s expression quickly turned to one of surprise. Dani’s smugness only grew as she watched Jamie’s shock turn to lust and her gaze swept over Dani as if she was trying to picture her in uniform.

“Football and cheerleading? How’d you have time for that?” Alison asked.

“Well, cheerleading was in the fall and winter for the _football,_ ” Dani emphasized what she considered to be the correct use of the term, “And basketball teams. Soccer was in the spring.”

“You do have us beat there,” Ian admitted as he lifted his glass, “God bless American cheerleaders.”

“Wait, you don’t have cheerleaders?” Dani asked as she glanced around the table to see heads shaking. “That just seems wrong.”

“Doesn’t it though?” Ian asked with a chuckle.

Dani shook her head as she filed away yet another bizarre difference between the two countries. She was distracted from her musings as she noticed the arm behind her shifted ever so slightly before she felt soft fingertips gently running up and down her arm.

A quick glance to her right found Jamie watching for her reaction and giving her a small smile. The gentle touch had sparked an insistent fluttering in her stomach, but she wasn’t about to ask Jamie to stop. She looked to the others and noticed that Leo and Alison had broken off into a side conversation while Ian was already on his way over to the bar to chat up a girl he’d been eyeing.

Satisfied that the others weren’t paying attention, Dani returned her gaze to Jamie. “That cheerleader thing really got you going, huh?” She teased with a playful grin.

Jamie chuckled as her fingers continued to brush along the exposed skin of her upper arm. “While I did enjoy finding out that little tidbit…it’s more like everything about you has got me going.”

Dani’s heart leapt at the words and she couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face, “Yeah?”

Jamie nodded as she held Dani’s gaze. The air around them felt thick with the tension that had steadily been building for weeks. Despite knowing they were in a crowded pub, Dani couldn’t help but feel as if she and Jamie were in their own private bubble.

Dani wasn’t sure how long they were caught up in their own world, but the clink of glasses being set on the table eventually caused her to tear her gaze away from Jamie and look over to place the source of the noise.

“What’s this about?” Jamie asked Ian as he began passing around shot glasses full of an unknown amber liquid.

“Well, I struck out with the lass at the bar. Turns out she’s married, but I didn’t find that out until after I ordered some shots. Then I was gonna try my luck with the beautiful Dani here, when I noticed this…” he trailed off as he gestured to Jamie’s arm wrapped around Dani as her fingers still stroked a soothing pattern into the soft skin, “So I figured a celebratory round for the table was deserved.”

“You’re a fucking idiot,” Jamie commented, although the words lacked any real anger or irritation. She glanced over at Dani, as if to gauge her reaction and see if she wanted Jamie to remove her arm.

Although Dani was admittedly nervous about being called out by Ian, she could tell by the reactions of everyone at the table that no one seemed shocked, upset, or disturbed by the fact that Jamie’s arm was around her. In fact, they looked almost happy given the looks they were shooting in Jamie’s direction. She knew she probably say or do something to prevent them from drawing the conclusions they were most likely deriving from the subtle show of affection, but she was also aware it would be far more awkward to ask Jamie to move her hand or shrug away from her arm. And truthfully, she didn’t want to stop the gentle caress that was causing her to feel a soothing mixture of warm, safe, and happy.

Ian lifted his shot glass, prompting the others to do the same as they waited for his toast. “To Jamie’s magic fingers,” he announced with a gleeful grin before downing his shot. Leo and Alison repeated the toast eagerly before taking their shots as well.

“Oi, fuck off,” Jamie called out with a glare as she took the shot and tossed the empty glass at Ian who caught it with a laugh.

Dani was thoroughly confused and had the distinct impression she was missing something as she took her shot and then looked around at the group, “What was that about?”

“Oh you haven’t heard the magic fingers story?” Ian asked in mock surprise as he took his seat.

“Why do you think this would be a good story to share?” Jamie asked her friend with a pointed look in his direction.

“Calm down, I’m the one who looks like the asshole in this story. Or Stacey maybe, but not you. In fact, I think it reflects rather well on you,” Ian answered with an amused smile.

“I want to hear the story,” Dani said as she glanced between Jamie and Ian. She didn’t like the feeling of being left out and was increasingly curious as to what the story behind the odd toast was.

“She wants to hear it,” Ian said as he looked at Jamie earnestly as if he was unable to refuse the request out of the kindness of his heart.

“I’ll get you back for this,” Jamie muttered as she raised her pint glass to her lips. Her other hand, which had stilled while taking the group shot, began to gently drift over Dani’s arm once more as if trying to enjoy being able to do so while she still could.

“Or perhaps this is me finally getting my revenge for your betrayal in this story,” Ian countered, although his grin indicated he held no real anger over the story he was about to share. His gaze turned to Dani and his eyes shone with excitement. “About a year or so back, I used to go out with this girl called Stacey. She was a real looker, but perhaps wasn’t the brightest bulb.”

“She was beautiful, but a total idiot and annoying as hell. Exactly Ian’s type,” Alison cut in with a chuckle.

“Thank you for that, Alison,” Ian said with a nod towards his friend, “Anyway, after a couple of months, she just wasn’t worth keeping around anymore so I broke up with her. She, in turn, decided it would be fun to try and get back at me by seducing one of my mates. And since this one has been locked down since he was fourteen,” Ian teased as he glanced at Leo, “She set her sights on our Jamie.”

Dani glanced over to see Jamie looking like she’d rather be anywhere but at the table with the rest of them.

“Fucking hell,” Jamie muttered as she took a sip of her beer.

“Now I don’t know much of what happened that night, and believe me, I’ve tried to get the dirty details. All I know is next time we all meet up at the pub for drinks, there’s Stacey, hanging all over Jamie and going on and on about how fantastic the sex was and how Jamie has absolutely magical fingers.” Ian directed a gleeful grin at his friend who only stopped stroking Dani’s arm long enough to flip him off.

“My favorite part is that Stacey was dumb enough to think that hooking up with Jamie would make this one here jealous,” Alison said as she gestured in Ian’s direction. “All he cared about was trying to set up a threesome, which Jamie shot down before the words even left his mouth. Ian quickly lost interest in the whole thing and then Stacey was gone.”

“Good riddance,” Ian said as he lifted his pint glass, “Haven’t seen her since.”

“ _You_ haven’t,” Leo added with a scoff, “I bloody work with her, you wanker. I can hardly look at her without remembering her pathetic bragging about Jamie’s magic fingers.”

“Can this story be over now?” Jamie asked, her tone as tired as her expression.

Dani hoped her face wasn’t as flushed as it felt because she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about just how magic Jamie’s fingers might be and what they would feel like all over her body. Just the faint touch of her hand on her arm was already causing quite the effect on her and she could only imagine what those fingers could do elsewhere.

“It can,” Ian confirmed with a nod, “And you’re welcome, by the way. I’m just clueing Dani in on what she has to look forward to.”

“Oh my god,” Dani choked out before she let out a startled laugh and leaned forward to hide her face in her hands.

“Clearly we’ve reached the part of the evening when you turn into an insufferable child,” Jamie scolded, “So I think it’s time to head out. Poppins?”

Dani glanced up to see Jamie standing from her seat and grabbing her coat. She took that as her cue to leave and stood up, “It was nice meeting all of you,” she said with a smile as she grabbed her jacket off the back of her chair.

The group exchanged goodbyes before Jamie led the way out of the pub, Dani close behind.

“Sorry about that,” Jamie apologized once they were outside of the pub. “Ian can be great but he can also be a real dickhead. I hope he didn’t embarrass you.” She turned her head to glance at Dani, the concern evident in her expression.

“Embarrass me? I’m not the one who he just shared a very…intimate story about,” Dani shot back with a teasing smile.

Jamie rolled her eyes, “It’s one of his favorites, he tells it every chance he gets. I’ve gotten used to the mortification by now, but it’s still annoying as hell when he brings it up.”

“Do you think he shares it so much because he’s upset by what happened and that’s his way to cope?”

“Did he seem upset?” Jamie challenged.

“No, not really,” Dani admitted as she thought to how gleeful he was to retell the story.

“Besides, they were hardly even together. A couple of months, if that, and I wouldn’t call it dating seeing as he never took her on a proper date. She was one of the more annoying girls he’s brought around and we couldn’t wait for him to get rid of her.”

“So why’d you sleep with her?” Dani asked as she glanced over to gauge Jamie’s reaction. She knew Stacey was apparently attractive and Dani was wondering just how good looking this woman must be for them to have put up with her for so long.

Jamie sighed and shook her head, “Look, it’s not my proudest moment, I’ll admit. I wouldn’t normally hook up with any of my friends’ exes, but…she was really pursuing me and honestly, it’s not like there are many options in this town. I took what I could get.”

The explanation made sense and Dani took comfort in the knowledge that it was more out of convenience than any real attraction or interest in Stacey on Jamie’s part.

“Look at you, you went from going after whatever was available to chasing after someone definitely off limits. What progress you’ve made,” Dani teased.

“I know how to pick ‘em,” Jamie joked back. She glanced over, her gaze curious as she searched her face for an answer to an unspoken question. If Dani had to guess what the question was, she was wondering if Dani was still off limits.

Dani honestly wasn’t sure of the answer to that question. Although she knew she shouldn’t be rushing into anything with Jamie as it would seem suspicious given how recently Jamie had dropped out, she also couldn’t deny how right it felt to be around Jamie. If the past week had taught her anything, it was that going a full seven days without seeing or hearing from her had been brutal. She had no interest in doing that again.

She decided to push the question aside as something to consider more fully when she got home. However, that brought to mind a different concern and she quickly scanned her surroundings. “Which way is it to the bus station?”

Jamie’s brow furrowed for a moment before she caught on and she gave Dani a worried look, “Poppins, I’ve warned you before about the bus station and cabs around these parts. It’s just not safe at this time of night.”

Dani frowned because she did recall Jamie saying that; however, she hadn’t thought that far in advance when she’d made the impulse decision to see Jamie. “Yeah, I guess I forgot to take that into account before I came out here tonight.”

“I can give you a ride,” Jamie offered.

“You’ve had more to drink than last time,” Dani pointed out, “It wouldn’t be safe to ask you to do that.”

“Yeah, but I haven’t had that much,” Jamie countered. “If you’re not in a rush, we could always head back to mine. I could drink some water, have something to eat, and then we could head out a bit later when you feel better about me driving. Though I assure you I feel pretty good now and won’t drive anywhere until I’m sure it’s safe.”

Dani considered the offer, it was likely her best bet, but on top of that, it meant more time with Jamie. “Okay, if you’re sure you don’t mind. And if you promise not to get behind the wheel unless you feel okay to do so.”

“I promise,” Jamie replied with a grin, her excitement evident at Dani taking her up on the offer. She continued to lead them back towards her house, but Dani stopped her before they could enter.

“Crap, Mikey. Is he home?” Dani asked with wide, worried eyes.

Jamie shook her head, “Nah, he’s spending the night after trick-or-treating. Said something about full size candy bars being given out near his mate’s house.”

“Oh god, I am not looking forward to all my students being hyped up on sugar next week,” Dani said with a roll of her eyes. However, she found she could relax a bit more and had no further qualms about following Jamie into her house.

Once inside, Dani could tell it was warmer and cozier than the bleak exterior suggested, but only a little. The furniture in the house was worn and decorations, artwork, or family pictures were sparse. It was functional, but it wasn’t entirely inviting. It was a house, but it didn’t feel much like a home. In fact, it reminded Dani a bit of her own house growing up, especially after her father died. The family pictures had been taken down with the intention of replacing them with solo pictures of Dani or photos of just her and her mother, but then her mother had started drinking more and more and the walls stayed bare.

Dani continued to follow Jamie through the house to the kitchen, where they collected an assortment of snacks and two glasses of water. She was a bit surprised when Jamie began heading up the stairs rather than towards the living room, but she followed her anyway.

“Are we allowed to bring food in here?” Dani asked as she hovered in the doorway to Jamie’s bedroom. Her gaze flitted nervously around the space, which was a bit messy and disorganized but so very Jamie. She eyed the boombox and pile of cassettes in one corner before looking over the clothes scattered on the floor by the wardrobe, no doubt having been left there when Jamie had been pulling a costume together last minute. Her gaze finally returned to where Jamie was taking a seat on her bed with an amused smile.

“I’m pretty much allowed to do whatever I want,” Jamie replied. “Don’t really have anyone checking in or trying to stop me.”

Dani nodded; she’d gathered as much from what Jamie had described of her family. She knew her mother had taken off and her father seemed to be at work or out most of the time. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a bit hesitant about being in Jamie’s bedroom.

“I just thought we’d hang out downstairs until we sobered up a bit and you felt okay to drive,” Dani explained.

“We can, if you’d feel more comfortable down there,” Jamie offered. “Personally, I prefer it up here. I have my stereo if we want music, my bed’s much comfier than that couch down there, and the floor and furniture aren’t stained with spilled beer and cigarette burns.”

“How many of those are from you?” Dani asked as she took a step into the room.

“Not the point,” Jamie replied with a grin as she shifted over on the bed to make room.

Dani slowly approached the bed. She couldn’t tell if it was a small double bed or a large twin, but it didn’t seem quite standard size. She cautiously perched on the end of the bed while Jamie was seated with her back rested against the pillows. A half dozen packaged snacks lay between them.

To try to distract from the butterflies she felt at being alone in Jamie’s room, Dani grabbed a bag at random and tore into it.

“Craving for crisps, I see,” Jamie commented as she observed her snack choice.

“Chips,” Dani corrected, a sly smile forming on her face as she brought them back to the cultural debate they were having earlier.

“Oh god, not this again,” Jamie teased as she grabbed another bag for herself.

“Does that mean you give up and I win?” Dani asked as she held up a single golden chip between her fingers. “And that these are chips?” If anyone were to ask, she would deny that she took her time bringing the salty snack to her mouth in an attempt to draw Jamie’s gaze along with the movement of her hand. She would also deny that she intentionally flicked her tongue out to lick the salt from her finger in an attempt to keep Jamie’s gaze on her mouth.

“I’ll call them whatever the bloody hell you want me to,” Jamie said as her gaze stayed fixed on Dani’s mouth, which quirked up into a satisfied grin.

“Victory!” Dani cheered as she pumped one fist in the air before bringing it back so she could continue eating her chips.

Jamie dropped her gaze to the bed and shook her head with a chuckle. “I think you’re getting entirely too comfortable with how much of an effect you have on me.” She accused as she got up and stretched in what appeared to be an attempt to get her mind off of wherever her thoughts had wandered. “Shall I put on some music?”

“Sounds good,” Dani agreed, mostly because she was desperate for a distraction after Jamie’s first comment. She found that her initial reaction had been a strong desire to push Jamie to share more and tell her exactly what effect she had. And she knew that would very quickly escalate to something else. However, she found that she didn’t really mind the thought of things escalating. Welcomed it even. But that was dangerous territory she wasn’t sure she was ready to explore. So music seemed good; seemed safe.

Her bag of chips was nearly empty by the time music began to drift throughout the room. It only took her a moment to recognize the familiar song as Blondie’s cover of ‘The Tide is High’. She glanced over at Jamie as she settled on the bed and picked up her own bag of chips and she could tell from her too casual demeanor that this song choice wasn’t coincidental.

“You’ve been listening to this one a lot lately?” Dani questioned with a smirk as she tuned into the familiar lyrics about someone pursuing someone and not giving up easily.

“Maybe,” Jamie shot back with a shrug. “It’s a good song.”

Dani could tell she wasn’t going to own up to playing this song intentionally even though Dani knew it wasn’t the first track on the album. “Well, I’m just glad you didn’t go with ‘One Way or Another’. I might have had to take my leave and risk the bus station at this time of night.”

Jamie laughed and threw a chip at her, “I’m not a stalker, I’ll have you know. Though keep showing off your knowledge of one of my favorite bands’ discography and I just might be.”

A playful laugh escaped Dani as she picked up the chip that had landed in her tulle skirt and popped it into her mouth. A dull pain behind her ears distracted her from returning Jamie’s amused gaze and she winced as she reached up to remove her headband. The accessory had been perfectly comfortable at the start of the evening, but had grown increasingly painful the longer it stayed on.

“If I’d have known I’d be in costume so long, I would have taken the lazy route like you,” Dani joked as she dropped her headband in her lap and reached up to massage the sore spots behind her ears.

“I’m glad you didn’t, because that outfit is something else,” Jamie said as her gaze travelled over the costume. After a moment, a thought seemed to spark and her eyes traveled back up to meet Dani’s. “Would you like to borrow some clothes? Might be a little more comfortable while we wait and sober up.”

Dani only had to consider that for a moment before she nodded, “That would be great actually. Would you mind?”

“Yes, I’m very much bothered by beautiful women wearing my clothes,” Jamie teased as she got off the bed and began sorting through the mess by her closet. After a moment, she returned with a soft flannel, a pair of sweatpants, and a pair of thick wool socks on top of the pile.

“Thank you,” Dani said as she accepted the clothes and glanced around as she tried to figure out how she could change without turning it into a show.

“The bathroom’s down the hall,” Jamie offered. “Although you’re more than welcome to change in here. I can even try to keep my eyes closed if you’d like.”

“Oh, how generous of you,” Dani joked as she stood up and stepped out of heels. After a moment’s thought, she kicked them over towards the wall so she didn’t accidentally trip over them later and embarrass herself in front of Jamie. “I think I’ll go with the first option.”

Jamie let out an exaggerated sigh of disappointment, which caused Dani to laugh as she left the room. After a quick sweep of the hall to make sure they were still alone in the house, Dani headed to the bathroom. She took a moment to actually use the restroom and try to freshen herself up as much as possible given that she didn’t have any of her own toiletries. She did her best to fix her eye make-up so it looked less like she’d been out drinking for hours, but without proper makeup remover, she was limited with what she could do. After changing into Jamie’s clothes and taking a moment to appreciate how soft the clothes were and how much they smelled like Jamie, she made her way back down the hall.

As much as she wanted to put it from her mind, she was still very aware that one of her students lived in the house. And even if he was supposedly gone for the evening, she desperately wanted to avoid an unexpected run in with Mikey so she made sure to lock Jamie’s door behind her when she returned to the room.

Even though Dani had tried to be stealthy, the sound of the lock clicking into place was loud enough to attract Jamie’s attention. An eyebrow quirked up as Jamie eyed Dani standing by the closed door. “Are you about to seduce me?”

Dani rolled her eyes as she pushed away from the door and dropped her costume next to her heels. “Only in your dreams.” She noticed that while she was gone, Jamie had removed the bandana that was holding her hair back and her messy curls were now free. Dani also noticed that she had moved their pile of snacks to her nightstand, so she took advantage of the lack of clutter on the bed to take a seat a bit closer to Jamie, more towards the middle rather than on the end. “By the way, asking someone if they’re trying to seduce you is probably the best way to kill the mood and make sure they won’t.”

“I know some films that would disagree with that,” Jamie pointed out before her brow furrowed. “So, wait. You _were_ trying to make a move then?”

Dani felt her face flush at the hopeful and longing gaze Jamie fixed her with. “No!” She said with a quick shake of her head. “I was just making an observation. You know, for future reference.”

“In the future when you _do_ try to seduce me?”

“No, that’s not what I…I was just saying…” Dani paused and took a breath when she could tell she was getting flustered because she didn’t want to give Jamie the satisfaction. “I just thought you might appreciate the tip is all.”

“You think I need help with my seduction technique?” Jamie questioned.

Instead of a verbal reply, Dani gave a shrug and reached for her water to take a long sip. Truthfully, she doubted Jamie needed much help at all. Dani was the one who probably needed the help given how new she was at actually exploring her attraction to women.

Fortunately, it seemed that Jamie was going to take pity on her by letting the topic drop. There was a brief silence before Jamie’s face broke into an amused smile as she looked at Dani in her clothes.

“Come here, Poppins. That flannel is wearing you.”

Dani glanced down and let out a chuckle at how the big, cozy shirt was drowning her in fabric. She wasn’t sure what Jamie was planning to do about it, but she set her glass on the nightstand before getting to her knees and shifting closer to Jamie on the bed.

The brunette sat up straighter against the pillows as she reached for Dani’s arm. She unbuttoned the sleeve before rolling it up to her forearm. After she was satisfied with that sleeve, she took Dani’s other arm and repeated the process.

Although she hadn’t minded the material draping over her hands, she found she really didn’t mind Jamie’s nimble fingers rolling the material up and brushing repeatedly over the smooth, sensitive skin of her forearms. Her movements were slow, but sure until both sleeves were out of the way of Dani’s hands.

Just when Dani thought Jamie’s work was done, which caused a feeling of disappointment as the soft hands left her body, Jamie’s hands lifted to the top of the shirt.

“This is a great color on you,” Jamie murmured as she adjusted the collar of the deep blue flannel. Dani resisted the urge to shiver as Jamie’s hand slipped just under the collar. Her cool fingers trailed gently along the flushed skin of Dani’s neck before gathering up the blonde hair that had gotten trapped under the shirt and sweeping it out. “It really brings out your eyes.”

Dani’s gaze had been fixed on Jamie’s face, but she hadn’t realized she was staring until Jamie shifted her gaze from the flannel to her eyes. Her heart was pounding in her chest and the only thing on Dani’s mind was that she didn’t want Jamie to stop touching her. She was desperate for the other woman to continue teasing her with gentle touches.

Jamie’s gaze flicked down to her lips and it was as if a starting pistol had gone off. Dani surged forward and claimed Jamie’s lips with her own. A startled gasp was released into her mouth at the suddenness of the action, but before Dani could mistake the kiss as unwanted, Jamie’s hands shot out to keep her close. One hand wound its way into blonde hair while the other grabbed a fistful of the flannel material just over Dani’s hip.

Compared to their first kiss, this one was noticeably harder, more frantic, and with an edge of desperation. It wasn’t long before Dani’s tongue darted out, seeking entrance to Jamie’s mouth, which was easily granted to her.

Jamie let out a soft groan when Dani’s tongue slid into her mouth and her hands tightened their grip.

Dani was positively buzzing from the rush of pleasant sensations coursing through her. She felt like she was on fire and was loving every second of it. She brought one hand up from where it was resting on the bed to cup Jamie’s cheek. It wasn’t long before her hand slid back behind Jamie’s head, tangling in her brown curls and keeping her close as the kiss picked up in intensity.

She felt Jamie release her grip on her shirt only for that same hand to slip under the material of the flannel and rest gently on her hip. Dani hummed in appreciation of the caress on her bare skin and pressed closer as Jamie teased her tongue with her own.

When Dani needed to catch her breath, she began to pull back. Jamie quickly caught her lower lip between her teeth and tugged, eliciting a low moan from Dani. She could see the pleased smirk on Jamie’s face as she pulled back, but couldn’t fault her for it. Not with all the things Jamie was making her feel simply by kissing her.

It was overwhelming in the best way possible and if she wasn’t so breathless, she was certain she’d be laughing in delight and disbelief over how amazing she felt.

Jamie’s hands still had a firm hold on her, as if afraid to let her go in case she were to start panicking over her actions like the first time. However, putting space between them or stopping what they were doing was the farthest thing from Dani’s mind as she tried to get enough oxygen to her brain so they could continue their previous activities.

“Still think I need any help with my seduction technique?” Jamie asked as Dani nuzzled into her neck.

The comment caused Dani to lean back to take in the smirking woman resting against the pillows. “Are you trying to take credit for this? I’m the one who kissed you.”

“Yeah…after my clever seduction attempt, which worked beautifully I must say.”

Dani glanced down at the rolled sleeves of her flannel as she put it all together. Jamie really was much smoother than she’d realized. “So, do you really think this shirt brings out my eyes, or was that just a line?” She teased as she playfully narrowed her eyes.

“Oh no, it definitely brings out your eyes. It looks great on you,” Jamie confirmed as she used the hand that was still resting on Dani’s hip underneath the shirt to bring her closer. “But I bet it looks even better off of you.”

“Jamie!” Dani exclaimed with a laugh, although she made no attempt to stop her from pulling her in for another kiss. Her cheeks were flushed at the implication and she felt a bit too dizzy at the thought of progressing to that point with Jamie. She was still getting used to kissing a woman and couldn’t yet wrap her brain around anything more at the minute. She decided not to overthink it and just let herself enjoy the kissing; she trusted Jamie and knew she would never push her into something she wasn’t ready for.

This time, it was Jamie’s tongue that pushed into her mouth first and she eagerly welcomed it. She brought the hand that wasn’t gripping brown curls up to rest on her hip. The thick denim of Jamie’s overalls proved to be a rather frustrating barrier as she squeezed at her waist through the material.

As she stroked Jamie’s tongue with her own, she pressed closer and attempted to shift her position to relieve the strain of leaning in for such a prolonged period. Jamie seemed to sense her discomfort and pulled back.

“You alright?”

Dani nodded quickly, not wanting to stop kissing even if her position was definitely going to cause lower back pain and a kink in her neck tomorrow.

“We can always lay down, might be a bit more comfortable,” Jamie suggested cautiously, as if worried any attempt to change things up might be enough to startle Dani into changing her mind altogether.

“Yeah, okay,” Dani agreed as she considered the idea and found she really liked it. “Wait, hold on,” she said as Jamie began to slide down lower on the pillows.

She tried not to laugh at the worried look on Jamie’s face at the interruption, so she bit her lower lip as she traced a hand over the denim material covering Jamie’s stomach. “If we’re getting comfortable, do you maybe want to take these off?” As much as she did want Jamie to be comfortable, she was also increasingly desperate to be able to touch something that wasn’t tough denim or the thick fabric of the shirt Jamie had on over it.

Jamie’s gaze frantically searched her face as if trying to determine if it was a real suggestion or just a joke. After a moment, she quickly nodded and stood up from the bed.

Dani watched as Jamie removed her button up shirt and tossed it aside before unhooking the straps of her overalls and giving the material at her hips a shove to help it slide down her legs. As she watched the denim pool around Jamie’s feet, Dani became distinctly aware of the arousal pooling low in her abdomen. She took her time working her gaze up Jamie’s toned and very bare legs to the glimpse of underwear only just visible from below the hem of the t-shirt she had on.

Dani swallowed roughly as her gaze finally lifted enough to meet Jamie’s, her green eyes nearly black with lust.

“Like what you see?” Jamie teased, though the words came out thickly laced with arousal.

A shy smile crossed Dani’s face. She would have been embarrassed to have been caught shamelessly leering at Jamie, but she knew the other woman didn’t mind. Instead of offering a reply, she reached out to grab Jamie’s hand and tugged her back towards the bed.

Jamie took the not-so-subtle hint and laid back down against the pillows. She used her grip on Dani’s hand to encourage her closer and Dani eagerly complied. She shifted her position so she was now laying down beside Jamie, her heart hammering in her chest at the way her fully clothed body was pressing against the side of Jamie’s half-naked form.

One of Jamie’s hands lifted up to thread through her hair and pulled her gently down to reconnect their lips. Dani let out a quiet, content sigh against the soft lips and shifted closer, her body now half on top of the woman beneath her.

The kisses started out slower than before but gradually picked up intensity, both women clearly eager to make up for all the time they’d missed out on not kissing each other. Dani’s right arm was trapped beneath her body, helping to support her weight as her hand tightly gripped the sleeve of Jamie’s t-shirt. Her left hand, however, was free to explore and she was nearly overwhelmed by the choices in front of her.

She hesitantly raised her hand to Jamie’s waist, her hand gently tracing the curve of her hip and dip of her toned stomach over her shirt. The cautious exploration earned her a soft moan of encouragement as Jamie tightened her grip on her hair and kissed her hungrily.

Spurred on by the reaction, Dani slid her hand under the fabric of her shirt and traced over the same path, from her hip to her stomach and then back. The feeling of Jamie’s warm, smooth skin beneath her fingers was even better than she’d imagined and it only made the ache between Dani’s thighs all the more insistent.

Jamie bit down roughly and tugged on her lower lip, causing Dani to emit a startled gasp. She pressed even closer to Jamie and grabbed hold of her waist, her nails digging in to the soft flesh.

“Dani,” Jamie murmured quietly. The single-syllable name uttered like a desperate prayer against her lips.

Dani’s heart fluttered at the way her name slipped from Jamie’s lips and she began trailing kisses along her jaw and down to her neck, hoping to hear it again. She shifted to get better access to the pale column of Jamie’s neck, which caused her one of her thighs to slip between Jamie’s legs.

A strangled moan escaped Jamie as her grip on blonde hair instinctively tightened while her other hand pressed firmly into Dani’s lower back.

A nervous blush spread across Dani’s face as she realized where her leg had ended up. She pulled her lips away from Jamie’s neck and leaned back just enough to monitor Jamie’s reaction. The flushed cheeks, swollen lips, and blown pupils immediately betrayed Jamie’s level of arousal. Dani wasn’t sure she had ever felt so wanted in her whole life, though perhaps this was just the first time she wanted someone just as much.

Even though part of her wanted to resume the kiss and just let her body and her overwhelming desire for Jamie take over, her hesitation kept her frozen in place. Only a few hours earlier, Dani was worried that Jamie might never want to talk to her again. She never would have predicted the night would have led them here. It had been less than a week since Jamie had left school and Dani was already in her bedroom, exchanging the most incredible kisses of her life and about to take things even further.

It was fast. Too fast.

Dani pushed herself back and off of Jamie, collapsing heavily onto the bed beside her. She glanced over to see the confusion on the brunette’s face.

“I think we need to slow things down a bit,” Dani explained shyly. She caught the look of disappointment flash across Jamie’s features, before the other woman carefully masked it with an understanding nod.

“I’m sorry,” Dani apologized as she reached over to grab Jamie’s hand. She hated disappointing her, but she knew she wasn’t ready to take things further. Not yet.

A genuine smile appeared on Jamie’s face as she gave her hand a squeeze. “No need to apologize. Honestly, I didn’t even think I’d be lucky enough to get this far. When it comes to you Poppins, I’ll go at whatever pace you want. In case I haven’t made that clear already.”

Dani laughed and felt her unease melt away at how patient and caring Jamie was. It was true that she’d always been patient with Dani, perhaps more than she deserved at times. “You’re wonderful,” Dani murmured in amazement as she leaned in to brush her lips against Jamie’s. “Is it okay if we just kiss while we wait until it’s safe to drive home?” She asked hopefully. She wasn’t sure if it would be too hard for Jamie to just stick to kissing without taking it further and was prepared to back off even further if that’s what she needed.

“That works for me,” Jamie agreed as she gently returned Dani’s kiss for a brief moment. “Just might slip under the covers. It’s a bit chilly without trousers on now that you’re not on top of me to keep me warm.”

Dani chuckled as she pulled back to let Jamie slide beneath the blanket. When Jamie held the covers up with a questioning glance, Dani accepted the unspoken offer and climbed beneath the heavy duvet.

Once they were both settled on their sides, facing one another, they resumed kissing. However, compared to the previous kisses, these were unhurried and gentle. There was no end goal they were racing towards other than just enjoying each other’s company as well as the feeling of soft lips moving against their own.

Dani wasn’t entirely sure how much time passed when she noticed Jamie’s pace begin to slow even further. She gently pulled back, wondering what was going on when she noticed the other woman was beginning to nod off. An amused smile appeared on Dani’s face as she took in how adorable Jamie looked as she started to fall asleep. She debated waking her up and offering to make some coffee, but she wasn’t the best at making coffee so she figured Jamie would probably benefit more from a quick nap before driving her home.

After cautiously extracting herself from the covers, Dani quietly crept around the room to shut off the boombox and turn off the light. She carefully returned to the bed, relieved that she didn’t wake Jamie in doing so. Dani settled on her back and stared at the dark ceiling as her eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light coming in through the window. She wasn’t sure how long she should let Jamie sleep, but figured she could mentally lesson plan for a while and maybe Jamie would wake from her nap feeling rested and sober enough to drive her home.

When she felt Jamie stir next to her, she wondered if she was waking up. However, Jamie’s breathing remained slow and steady as an arm draped over her stomach. Dani’s breath caught in her throat as she felt the weight of Jamie’s arm wrap around her in her sleep. She glanced over to see the peaceful expression on the brunette’s face and she couldn’t help but take her time admiring her features in a way she’d never allowed herself when Jamie was awake. She was aware Jamie was beautiful, but as she took in every line and curve that made up her nose, her lips, her chin, her cheekbones, her jaw…the only word that she could think of to define Jamie was ‘perfect’.

As Dani remained still in order not to disturb Jamie’s arm and her breath began to slow to match the pace of the woman beside her, she realized she hadn’t felt so comfortable in a long time. Her eyes began to droop, feeling heavier by the second as she struggled to stay focused on the beautiful woman beside her. She was asleep before she realized how very dangerous it could be to fall asleep in Jamie’s bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter - like I said in the last chapter, this was my favorite to write (so far). 
> 
> A huge thank you to everyone who commented and left kudos on the last chapter and everyone who has sent lovely messages and helped entertain me over on tumblr. You all are the best and I absolutely adore you. 
> 
> Thank you to colour_outside_the_lines for first introducing me to some of these UK vs US differences (zed still blows my mind).
> 
> And thank you to paperkites3 over on tumblr for reminding me about pants/trousers because that was a fun little last minute addition to this chapter.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a line in this chapter that makes me laugh every time I read it even though I know it's coming (yes, I know that makes me sound slightly narcissistic). I'm curious if anyone will be able to pick out which line it is. If you want to put your guess in the comments please do; there's no prize lol, but I'll give a shoutout to anyone who gets it right.

“Jamie! Wake up!”

Dani started at the noise and sleepily glanced at her surroundings as she tried to piece together where she was. Light was spilling in through a window illuminating a room that wasn’t hers, yet didn’t feel entirely unfamiliar.

“Why is your door locked?” The voice from the hall continued as the door rattled on its frame, knob frantically twisting to no avail.

All at once, the previous evening rushed back and Dani’s eyes widened in shock as she recognized the voice coming from the other side of the door.

“Jamie!” She hissed as she reached over to shake the woman who was slower to wake than she had been.

“What?” Jamie mumbled as she blinked her eyes open. A slow smile spread across her face as she took in the woman beside her. “Now this is a sight I could get used to in the morning.”

“Shh! Mikey’s outside,” Dani hissed as she shot a nervous glance toward the door.

“Mikey?” Jamie asked but was cut off by another loud knock.

“Jamie! Get up!”

“Shit,” Jamie grumbled as she quickly rolled out of bed. “Hold on!” She shouted to her brother as she stumbled about and grabbed a pair of pajama pants from the pile of clothes by her wardrobe. “I’ll handle it,” she promised Dani as if just noticing the fear that was in Dani’s eyes as she stared at the door. “I’ll find a way to distract him so you can get out to the truck and I’ll come up with a reason to leave the house so I can take you home.”

Dani nodded but ducked under the covers to hide as Jamie went to open the door.

“Why are you trying to break my door down?” Jamie asked as she opened the door. Dani heard the sound of footsteps as Jamie led Mikey away from the door, which she shut firmly behind her.

Not knowing how much time Jamie would be able to buy, Dani hopped up and rushed around the room to collect all the pieces of her costume. Her heart pounded heavily as she tried to push aside her fear long enough to focus on getting out of this situation with as minimal damage as possible.

She ran a hand through her hair as she scanned the room, making sure she’d collected everything that would give away her presence in the Taylor household. Once she was certain she had everything, she quietly opened the door and crept towards the stairs.

“You make me a full English breakfast every year after Halloween,” she heard Mikey’s voice trailing up from the first floor. “How could you forget this year?”

“Sorry mate, I thought you would be at your friends’ house for breakfast,” Jamie explained.

“His mum can’t cook. Not that you’re much better, but at least you get a fry-up right,” Mikey joked.

“Hey, watch it or you won’t be getting anything,” Jamie playfully shot back. “Can you check the cupboard to see if we have any beans?”

Dani took the last comment to mean that Mikey was otherwise distracted so she began to cautiously make her way down the stairs.

She was halfway down when the sound of a door opening caught her by surprise and she glanced over to see a middle-aged man walk out into the hallway. The man took another step before he noticed Dani on the stairs. The two locked eyes and Dani felt her breath hitch in her chest as she waited for him to give away her presence in the house by asking who she was, why she was sneaking around, or perhaps, why she was wearing his daughter’s clothes.

After a long, tense moment, the man silently continued on his way to the bathroom.

Dani exhaled a shaky breath and knew she needed to keep it together and keep moving while Jamie did her best to distract Mikey.

“Yeah, we have like five cans,” Mikey’s voice drifted over as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She saw Jamie positioned further down the hall, peering into the kitchen.

She saw Jamie glance over and give her a nod towards the front door before she returned her attention to the kitchen. “Right, and we have bread?”

Dani walked slowly towards the door. She glanced down, knowing she was only in the socks Jamie had loaned her the night before, but she wasn’t about to put on her heels to head outside. She hoped Jamie wouldn’t be too upset about her socks getting dirty. As quietly as she could, she opened the door and ducked outside. She didn’t bother fully closing the door, knowing it would be too loud and Jamie was going to be right behind her anyway. She hurried behind the truck, clutching her heels and clothes to her chest as she hid out of sight of the house.

Only a minute passed by before she heard the front door shut and a moment later a quiet, “You out here, Poppins?”

She stepped around the truck and into Jamie’s line of sight, getting a quick nod as Jamie unlocked the doors. Dani hurried to the passenger side and threw her stuff on the floorboard before awkwardly climbing in while trying to remain out of sight. She ducked down low in her seat just in case Mikey were to glance out the window.

Fortunately, Jamie seemed to sense her urgency to leave as she passed up the chance to tease her over her lack of grace. Jamie started the car and pulled out of the driveway, but it wasn’t until they were two blocks down the road that Dani finally straightened up in her seat.

“You okay?” Jamie asked as she glanced over. From the nervous look on her face, Dani could tell that Jamie was worried that she was freaking out over Mikey nearly walking in on them. While Dani knew she should probably be a little more concerned about that, it wasn’t the problem currently monopolizing her thoughts.

“Yeah, I just…um,” she trailed off as she shot a quick look over at Jamie, wondering how she would react to what she had to tell her. “When I was going downstairs, I think your dad came out of his room and he sort of saw me…”

Jamie’s eyebrows lifted in surprise and Dani anxiously studied her reaction for any insight into how she felt about the news.

“Right. Well, uh, are you okay?” Jamie repeated her earlier question as she kept her gaze on the road, but her eyes briefly darted over to Dani.

Dani was taken aback by the question. “Me? Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You seem pretty shaken by it,” Jamie pointed out.

“Because I didn’t know if you’d be freaked out,” Dani explained. “I know you said you haven’t exactly come out to your dad. But he might have some questions now that he’s seen me sneaking out of your room wearing your clothes.”

Jamie chuckled at that and Dani was surprised again at her apparent lack of concern over the situation. “Trust me, I doubt he’ll have any questions. Maybe a proud pat on the back, because I mean, have you seen yourself?”

Dani couldn’t help but smile at the compliment but it quickly faded as she thought back to her own concerns over the situation. “So you don’t think he’ll be upset about it?”

“What was his reaction when he saw you?”

“Um, we just stared at each other for a moment and then he walked off.”

“Sounds about right,” Jamie said with an amused smile. Dani knew she must have not looked all that convinced that everything was okay, because when Jamie glanced over she let out a soft sigh.

“Look, Poppins. My dad’s a good man. He’s had a hard life and his parenting skills leave a lot to be desired. He isn’t the most present dad, but he loves me and Mikey. And Denny, even though it’s a wasted effort with that one. Point is, my dad’s not the type to get all worked up just because I fancy women. He’s not gonna throw me a party or have a heart-to-heart about it. Probably won’t ever even mention that he saw you sneaking out of my room. But he’ll accept it and accept me.”

Dani relaxed against the seat as Jamie reassured her that there wasn’t likely to be any serious consequences for her dad catching her. She was still curious to learn more about Jamie’s past, but she knew the ride back to her place probably wasn’t the time to dig into family history.

“I’m really glad to hear that,” Dani said with a warm smile. “I would hate to think I’d gotten you in trouble or kicked out of the house or something awful like that.”

“Nah, no need to worry about anything like that,” Jamie said before she glanced over. “Though even if I did get kicked out, I have to say, I think last night still would have been worth it.”

A grin appeared on Dani’s face at the compliment and the reminder of how much Jamie liked her. She was glad that Jamie’s dad seeing her wouldn’t apparently have any big, dramatic consequences and she let her worry fade away. She wondered if she would ever properly meet the man one day. A stray thought followed that one and Dani sat up straight, eyes wide with alarm.

“Jesus, everything alright?” Jamie asked as she snapped her head over at the sudden movement.

“Jamie, what if your dad comes in to meet Mikey’s teachers? He’s going to recognize me and it’s going to look so, so bad,” Dani explained as she nervously began to wring her hands together. She was surprised she hadn’t started to worry over that sooner, but figured it was because her concern for Jamie had been occupying all of her thoughts.

“And why would he come in to meet you?” Jamie asked, her tone gentle as if to soothe Dani. “I don’t think he ever met a single one of my teachers. The head teacher a couple of times maybe, especially when I was held back in primary school, but that was it.”

Dani nodded along slowly, eager to accept reasons to calm her concern. “Yeah, you all don’t really do a big back-to-school night,” she agreed as she thought back to the parent teacher night in late September that was attended by maybe fifteen parents when she taught over a hundred students between her five classes.

“There’s no reason he would meet you,” Jamie said resolutely. “Even if he got in trouble for acting out in school, it would be Mr. Wingrave’s problem to deal with. Not yours.”

Dani nodded again and gave Jamie a grateful smile as she relaxed against her seat once more.

“Besides, if he did ever happen to find out you were Mikey’s teacher _and_ he happened to remember seeing you sneak out of my room, I could always claim that I’m just very involved in Mikey’s education and do what I can to make sure he gets on well at school,” Jamie explained with a devilish smirk.

“Oh god,” Dani said as she rolled her eyes. “Because I really want him to think I’m the type of teacher who would sleep with the sibling of a student and give a kid an unfair grade boost.”

“Relax, Poppins. It wasn’t a real suggestion,” Jamie reassured her as she glanced over with a playful smile. “I was never even motivated enough to do that for my own grades, let alone Mikey’s.”

Dani laughed and returned Jamie’s playful look, “You say that, but you never had me as a teacher. I bet you if you had, you would have tried to sleep with me to improve your grade.”

“No way,” Jamie disagreed as she directed her attention back on the road.

Dani looked over with an incredulous expression. Even though Jamie wasn’t looking at her, she could tell the other woman picked up on her shocked reaction as a chuckle fell from her lips.

“I mean, I definitely would have tried to sleep with you, but it wouldn’t have had anything to do with wanting a better grade. You could have failed me on every assignment and I would have fucked you anyway.”

Dani let out a loud laugh and reached over to shove Jamie’s shoulder. She couldn’t help but be flattered by the thought that Jamie would have wanted her even if she’d tanked her grade.

“You would have been incorrigible,” Dani groaned as she pictured having to put up with Jamie as her student for a full school year. “It would have been the longest year of my life just constantly shutting you down, sending you to the head teacher, doing everything I could to get it through your head that I don’t sleep with students.”

Jamie chuckled at the description of what the year would have been like, but didn’t argue with the assessment. “Guess it’s a good thing I was never your student. And that I’m not a student at all anymore,” she said as she reached a hand over to rest on Dani’s thigh.

Dani’s gaze darted down to the hand on her thigh and swallowed roughly. “Yeah, good thing,” she murmured quietly as thoughts of the previous night came flooding back.

Jamie wasn’t a student anymore. But she had only left Goldthorpe a week ago and Dani knew she should’ve had enough self-control to let more time lapse before she ended up in Jamie’s bed. However, she didn’t feel as much regret over her actions as she’d been expecting.

There was one thing that she knew for certain - she wanted to see Jamie again. Soon. And this time without adding the qualifier of ‘as friends’.

When Jamie’s truck pulled up in front of her building, Dani knew she’d spent entirely too much time lost in her thoughts and needed to start turning her thoughts into actions.

“I was thinking,” she began as she unbuckled her seat belt and shifted in order to face Jamie. “Maybe we could get dinner one night this week. That is, if you don’t have to work late or get home to make dinner for Mikey.”

Jamie’s eyebrows raised in surprise as she looked at the blonde. “Poppins, are you asking me out on a date?”

Dani knew her pink cheeks betrayed her nerves and embarrassment over being called out when she’d tried to be subtle. However, she refused to back down now that she was stumbling her way through her first ever attempt to ask out a woman. She straightened her posture and gave a sure nod, “Yeah, I am.”

The surprised expression on Jamie’s face faded into a delighted grin. “Well in that case, I’d love to get dinner. You pick a night and I’ll be there.”

Dani couldn’t help but smile over Jamie’s enthusiastic acceptance of her offer. “I just have to check my schedule,” she explained, knowing she wanted to pick an evening when she didn’t have a heavy workload the following day in case she and Jamie stayed out late. She found herself almost desperate to select a day so it would feel more real and she could start looking forward to it. “Do you want to come inside? I can just check my planner quickly and we can set something up.”

Jamie dropped her head back against the seat, “You don’t know how much I’d love to go up to your flat with you. But I know if I do, I’ll just want to continue the things we were doing last night…and I unfortunately need to get back because I promised Mikey I’d make him breakfast after ‘a quick trip to the store’.”

“Oh, right,” Dani nodded as she remembered the events of the morning. “I’ll give you a call then.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Jamie replied with a warm smile.

Dani felt her heart flutter at the amount of adoration in Jamie’s gaze. She quickly glanced out the windows of the car and noticed the streets were empty as most people were still probably tucked in bed sleeping off the events of Halloween.

Without another moment’s hesitation, Dani leaned across the seats and caught Jamie’s lips in a tender kiss. She felt Jamie’s hand slide behind her head, fingers spearing through her hair as she kept her close. Even though every part of Dani wanted to deepen the kiss and prolong this moment as long as possible, she knew it was only a matter of time before someone would emerge from a nearby house or shop and spot them and she really wasn’t up for dealing with homophobia this early in the morning.

She forced herself to pull away and rubbed her lips together, willing the taste of Jamie to stay as long as possible. “I’ll call you,” she repeated, finding the only thing on her mind was when she’d get to see Jamie again.

“Yeah,” Jamie said with a nod, looking a bit dazed as her eyes dropped down to Dani’s lips.

It took every ounce of willpower Dani had to open the door with the way Jamie was looking at her, but eventually she climbed down from the cab of the truck. As she made her way towards the front door, she glanced behind her to see Jamie still watching her. A happy grin spread across Dani’s face and she gave the brunette a wave before she disappeared into the building.

As Dani climbed the stairs to her flat, she realized that the combination of joy, excitement, and just a hint of nerves coursing through her must be how most people felt when they ended a fantastic date and were anticipating another one. And even though she and Jamie hadn’t yet been on a proper date, what she currently was feeling was unlike anything she’d ever experienced with Edmund. Dani knew that whatever was going on between her and Jamie couldn’t be wrong when it felt so undeniably right. She let herself into her flat already lost in a daydream about what was in store for her on her first official date with Jamie.

* * *

Dani ended up calling Jamie later that same day to schedule their date and they had settled on Wednesday. Partly because it was the first night that worked for both of their schedules and partly because Dani knew she couldn’t wait any longer to see Jamie again.

After Jamie had teased her for hints about the date, Dani realized she had absolutely no idea what to do or where to go for their date as she was still very new to the area. Jamie had offered to take over the planning responsibilities, as well as offering to do the driving for the evening, since Dani had neither a car nor a UK driver’s license.

With plans somewhat set and the rest of the control out of her hands, that left Dani with just trying to get through the next three days. A task much easier said than done.

Monday and Tuesday had been slow, but had passed by easily enough. Wednesday, however, seemed to be the longest day that Dani had ever experienced. Each class seemed to take a full eight hours just to get through and she wondered if there was some weird English anomaly that made this the longest of all days on Earth.

It didn’t help that every spare moment her mind had to wander was instantly filled with thoughts of Jamie and wondering what she was planning for their evening together. She’d been caught lost in thought on several occasions by students trying to get her attention. However, despite her embarrassment at being so distracted, it didn’t seem to make her mind wander any less frequently.

She was the first of her friends to arrive to the teacher’s lounge for lunch and nearly as soon as Dani set her tray on the table, she was already busy wondering what type of restaurant Jamie had picked out for their date. If it was even a dinner date. However, Dani had distinctly invited her out for dinner and she remembered a brief conversation about restaurants during their phone call, so she was fairly certain Jamie wouldn’t change things up too drastically from what they had planned.

The clack of a tray hitting the table tore Dani from her thoughts and she glanced over to see Rebecca settling into the seat next to her. There was a mischievous smirk on her friend’s face as she leaned closer so only Dani could hear what she was about to say.

“I think someone got a very nice treat on Halloween,” she whispered, her tone suggestive before she leaned back with a grin.

Dani felt her body seize in shock as she registered the comment. “Wh-what?” She asked as she stared at Rebecca with wide eyes. “What are you talking about?” Her mind began to race as she tried to figure out how Rebecca could have possibly found out about what she’d done on Halloween night. The only person who had seen her at Jamie’s house had been Mr. Taylor and she was fairly certain the older man was not a close friend of Rebecca’s, which could only mean someone else had seen them together.

“Hannah and Owen,” Rebecca replied, keeping her voice low from any potential eavesdroppers at nearby tables. “I asked them both about the party on separate occasions and they both seemed a bit jumpy and nervous…kind of like you were just now.” Rebecca frowned and regarded Dani with a curious expression. “What exactly did I miss at this party?”

Dani chuckled and her body relaxed in relief as she caught on the situation. “Nothing that I’m aware of. It was a good party, the food was fantastic, of course. But I left kinda early so I don’t know what happened after that. Did either of them say anything?”

“They both have been annoyingly vague,” Rebecca explained. “I think something happened. Something good by the way they both get very flustered and smile but change the topic. But neither of them have let on as to what.”

Dani gave a contemplative hum. “I kinda wish I’d stayed longer so I could tell you what happened.” There was only a bit of truth to that comment because Dani really didn’t regret leaving when she did. Or any of the events that followed.

“I think it might be best if we divide and conquer to try and get one of them to spill. I already pushed my luck with Owen. I had him bright red and stammering when I tried to get details out of him this morning. So it might be better if you try to talk to him,” Rebecca said with an amused smile.

“You’re really set on finding out what happened,” Dani observed as she wondered why Rebecca was pursuing this so much.

“Of course I am,” Rebecca shot back with a grin. “These two have been pining after each other for a long time. Since before I even knew them. It’s about time something happened and I want to know what it is!”

Dani laughed, unable to fight off Rebecca’s infectious enthusiasm anymore. “Alright, I’ll talk to Owen this afternoon. I’ll see what I can find out.”

“Thank you,” Rebecca said with a nod, her eyes lighting up as Hannah entered the lounge.

“Let her eat her dinner in peace,” Dani playfully scolded. “You can interrogate her later.”

“Alright,” Rebecca agreed with a sigh as she turned her attention to her own meal.

* * *

“Hey Owen,” Dani greeted with a cheerful smile as she wandered into the school’s kitchen.

“Dani, what a surprise,” Owen glanced up from where he was cleaning up from dinner. “Come to pay your compliments to the chef? And here I thought that people didn’t _carrot_ all.”

Even the pun couldn’t bring down Dani’s good mood as she let out a laugh and walked over to her friend. “I was getting a little bored during my planning period and thought I’d stop by to say hi. Anything I can do to help?” She glanced around at the dishes that were waiting to be cleaned.

“You must have been really bored if you’re offering to help do after-dinner clean up,” Owen joked. “I’m sure there are better ways to spend your time.”

Dani shrugged as she wandered closer to the sink. “I could use a good distraction from grading papers.”

Owen eyed her for a moment, “Alright, but if you help me finish up here, then you must stay for a cuppa and a slice of whatever dessert is leftover from dinner.”

“Deal,” Dani agreed with a nod. She quickly set to work, but unfortunately the loud spray of water from the industrial sink and dishes clanking around didn’t allow for much conversation. Fortunately, they made quick work of the remaining dishes, along with the rest of the kitchen staff, and it wasn’t long before they were sitting down to chat at a small table tucked in the corner of the large kitchen.

“Regret wandering over here yet?” Owen teased as he took a sip of his tea.

“Not at all,” Dani replied with a grin. After all, she’d been rewarded with a leftover slice of the amazing chocolate cake from dinner, which she’d already inhaled half of before she sat down, so she really couldn’t complain. “I may just have to stop by again sometime. Besides we don’t really get a chance to catch up all that often.”

Owen nodded and gave Dani a warm smile, “Well, it’s always a pleasure to see you. Feel free to stop by anytime.”

Dani grinned around a mouthful of cake as she wondered how to go about finding out what happened at the Halloween party. “Thank you again for inviting me to your party last weekend. I had so much fun, and the food was fantastic. Those pumpkin tarts…” she trailed off and shook her head.

“I’m glad you had a _gourd_ time,” Owen replied with a happy grin.

“Oh wow,” Dani shook her head in mock disapproval as she took a sip of tea.

“Sorry, I couldn’t pass up the chance…it was eerie-sistable. But I’ll stop before I drive you batty.” The grin on Owen’s face betrayed how little his apology meant and how much he was enjoying pulling out the worst puns he could think of.

“Too late,” Dani shot back but her smile gave away her amusement. “Anyway, I know I headed out kinda early. Did I miss anything good after I left?”

Her question sparked a reaction from Owen, though she couldn’t exactly tell if it was good or bad. His gaze dropped to his cup as his fingers fidgeted with the handle. “Oh nothing much. Just some more eating, drinking, and conversation.” His tone was light, but his gaze remained fixed on his cup, indicating there was something more on his mind.

Dani knew that if she was going to get any answers, she would have to pry a little bit more. Fortunately, she had the excuse of still getting to know Owen as a friend, therefore she had very little knowledgeable about his personal life.

“Hannah took me around to meet some of your other friends. Although I don’t think I got to meet your girlfriend…” she trailed off as she tried to keep her tone light and not leading.

“That might have been hard to do, seeing as I don’t have one,” Owen joked, although the tight laugh he emitted gave away his nerves.

“Oh,” Dani acted surprised by this information. “Well then, were there any women at the party that you’re interested in?”

“Uh, not particularly,” Owen said as he returned his gaze to the table in an uncharacteristically shy gesture. “Although speaking of romantic interest, that reminds me; one of my friends, John, whom I believe you met at the party – bloke dressed as a vampire, he asked me if I could set him up with Madonna. Now, he may have been referring to the pop singer, but I think he was asking about you.”

Dani was surprised by the shift in the conversation and couldn’t shake the feeling that Owen was trying to distract her from her line of questioning. “Oh, um,” she paused and let out a nervous chuckle that was almost identical to the one Owen had let out just a moment earlier. “That’s really flattering, but he’s…not my type.”

Truthfully, she wasn’t completely sure who Owen was referring to; she may have met a vampire at the party but it hadn’t been memorable enough to stick in her mind. Regardless, she knew she wasn’t interested seeing as she much preferred the company of women. One woman in particular. A giddy smile formed on Dani’s face as she thought about her upcoming date, but she tried to mask it with a more neutral expression as she glanced up at Owen.

A beat of silence passed between the friends as Dani was trying to hide how eager she was for her first date with Jamie and Owen was back to looking nervous as he sipped his tea. After a moment, he set his cup down and held Dani’s gaze.

“Look, Dani, you are a really lovely person and quite beautiful. I’m sure most men that you meet would be falling over themselves to get a chance to ask you out. But I…have my sights set on someone else, I suppose,” Owen admitted as he ducked his head nervously.

“What?” Dani asked as her brow furrowed in confusion at the unexpected comment. “I don’t understand.”

“And I appreciate the help with the dishes. I would have said something earlier before you went out of your way to help, I just didn’t realize…”

“Realize what?”

“That you um…” he trailed off as he met Dani’s confused gaze. “I don’t mean to be blunt about it and embarrass you. It’s just between offering to help with the dishes earlier and then asking if I’m seeing anyone…and my friend isn’t exactly your type…”

“Oh,” Dani let out a gasp as she finally caught on to what he was implying. “Owen, no. I’m gay.”

Owen’s eyes widened and the pair sat silently for a moment. “Well, that’s wonderful!” He enthused as a relieved smile stretched across his face. “I apologize for not having a delightfully funny joke ready to go, but I’m a bit off my pun game at the moment.” He paused, mouthing the word ‘game’ and Dani could practically hear the gears turning in his head. “But that’s probably better, seeing as you play for the other team!”

“You know, I think I would have been fine without a joke,” Dani commented, although she didn’t really mind. Mostly she was relieved Owen seemed to take the announcement in stride and accept her no questions asked.

“Not my best, I will admit,” he agreed with a nod. His smile turned bashful as he rubbed at his neck. “Sorry for my very incorrect assumption then.”

Dani was ready to shrug the comment off before an idea sparked and her eyes lit up gleefully. “It’s fine, all is forgiven…if you tell me who it is that you ‘have your sights set on’.” She threw his comment back at him with a smirk.

She watched as Owen squirmed as he realized he was unable to back out of what he’d confessed just a moment ago. She decided to take pity on him and not force his hand if he wasn’t comfortable sharing. “You don’t have to…I mean I did just share a pretty big secret…” her teasing smile faded into a look of genuine reassurance. “But I understand if you don’t want to tell me.”

Owen gave her a grateful smile and took a deep breath. He stared at his hands, which were nervously fiddling with the hem of his apron. “Hannah,” he said softly. His gaze remained on his lap for a moment before he looked up to meet Dani’s patient smile. “The woman I have my sights set on…it’s Hannah.”

Dani didn’t pretend to look shocked by the news, but she did offer her friend a warm and eager grin. “That’s amazing, Owen. Hannah’s the best and you two together…” Dani shook her head as if lost for words before her beaming smile was back in place, “Perfection.”

A laugh escaped Owen as he visibly seemed to relax into his chair. “That’s assuming she even would want to be with me.”

“Why not give it a shot? Ask her out?” Dani challenged. “That’s the only way to know for sure.”

“You make it seem so simple,” Owen teased. “You’re forgetting that if she says no, then I’ve just made things very awkward with one of my best friends.”

Dani could empathize with his fear; however, she knew Hannah was very much into Owen and the chance of her turning down was incredibly slim. She was determined not to let Owen’s nerves keep him from taking the risk. “Hey now, just a moment ago you thought I was coming on to you and you turned me down, very graciously I might add, and look at us now. Sitting here, laughing, no harm done to our friendship.”

“You weren’t actually asking me out though,” Owen pointed out with an amused smile.

“Well, if things go badly with Hannah, just tell her you’re gay and make her think she misunderstood the situation,” Dani joked, earning a loud laugh from Owen. Once the laughter faded, she reached over and set a hand on top of his. “I don’t think she’s going to say no.”

Owen smiled and seemed to be considering something before he glanced up to hold Dani’s gaze. “There was…a moment, I suppose, after the party.”

“Yeah?” Dani asked, her eyes bright and eager as she pulled her hand back and leaned forward expectantly.

“I insisted on walking her home. She only lives a few minutes from me, after all. And when we reached the doorstep, I was moving in to bid her goodnight with a kiss on the cheek, but she was turning to say something else and, well, my goodnight kiss ended up on her lips. It was very quick, she was surprised and I was terribly embarrassed, so I hurried off. I haven’t really been able to look at her since without thinking about that kiss and wondering if I should have stayed…or if I should apologize.”

Dani was smiling as she listened to the story. It was sweet and romantic and she knew Rebecca would love it – but she wasn’t going to tell her. She’d never betray Owen’s trust by sharing the story without his permission. Dani just hoped Rebecca was able to get the story out of Hannah.

“I think that sounds like the perfect opportunity to go and talk to her. You can apologize for the kiss if you want and explain it was an accident…but I think you’re gonna have to follow that up with asking her out so you can try that kiss again for real sometime.”

Another nervous chuckle escaped Owen as he contemplated Dani’s suggestion. “I think maybe I will go and talk to her. After school perhaps.”

The bell rang, signaling that classes were letting out and Dani knew she had to head back to her room for the last class of the day. However, she couldn’t resist finishing her slice of cake and downing the rest of her tea. “I’ll keep my fingers crossed,” she promised, “And I better hear all about how it goes!” She said as she looked to Owen for a nod of agreement as she stood up from her chair.

“Thank you,” Owen said with a smile, “For the pep talk…and the help in the kitchen too.”

Dani chuckled and gently squeezed his shoulder as she walked past, “Anytime. Thanks for the cake!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Next up - first date!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who read, left kudos, and/or commented on the last chapter! And everyone who has come over to my tumblr (shananigans402.tumblr.com) to say hello! Especially the anon that played along with my assumptions game and submitted some very well-researched and surprisingly accurate assumptions! I'm still impressed lol. 
> 
> You all are absolutely wonderful and I really appreciate your continued interest in this story.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates Christmas! And to those who don't I hope you're having a wonderful Friday! 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who tried to guess the line from the last chapter that always makes me giggle. No one quite got it, though a lot of people guessed my second favorite line from the chapter ("You could have failed me on every assignment and I would have fucked you anyway.”) So to everyone who guessed that, you're all runners-up!
> 
> The winner is ninjaatheart for being the closest, though I'm not surprised given that we've established many times over that we share a single braincell (but what a braincell it is!)
> 
> Ninjaatheart guessed that it was the thought of Rebecca and Mr. Taylor being buddies and gossiping over some tea - which did make me laugh while picturing/writing that. 
> 
> However, the actual line was Rebecca asking “What exactly did I miss at this party?”
> 
> Just the thought of Rebecca asking her friends about the party and they all start getting nervous and shifty and shy and she's like...did I miss a Halloween orgy?!  
> It just makes me giggle lol

It’s just a date.

People went on dates all the time. It was just a couple of hours. Some conversation over dinner. No big deal. No reason to be nervous.

At least, that’s what Dani kept telling herself. But no matter how many times she repeated the words, it did almost nothing to calm the nerves that had flared up as soon as she had gotten home. She was still excited, very much so, but the reality that she was about to have her first date with a woman, her first date with _Jamie_ , made her feel more nervous than she expected.

Surprisingly, her nerves had little to do with anyone seeing her and Jamie out together and more to do with hoping the date went well. She hoped that the conversation would flow smoothly and that they wouldn’t run out of things to talk about. She hoped she would impress Jamie and keep her interested now that she was finally finished keeping the other woman at arm’s length. She hoped that Jamie wouldn’t tire of her without the chase and start running in the other direction.

Her thoughts ran wild as she sat curled up in an armchair facing the window. One leg was hanging off the chair, bouncing quickly up and down as she repeatedly tried and failed to stop herself from bringing a hand to her mouth to bite her nails.

Suddenly, a familiar green truck pulled into the parking lot and Dani quickly sat up. She stood from the chair and began tugging at the hem of her dress to straighten it out. As she glanced down, she had a fleeting thought that her dress was all wrong and she needed to change. However, she shoved the thought from her mind. She’d already spent nearly two hours obsessing over her appearance for her date and she knew this was the best option. Her blue dress was nice enough for a first date but not so formal as to make her feel overdressed if they went someplace casual. Besides, Jamie had complimented the way deeper shades of blue brought out her eyes.

She smiled as she remembered the compliment and used the brief respite from her nerves to hurry towards the door. She slipped into her heels and grabbed her purse before heading out into the hall.

Dani was out of her building and halfway to the truck by the time she ran into Jamie and she stopped in her tracks.

“Wow, you look…” she trailed off as her gaze traveled hungrily over the other woman. She didn’t know how to finish the sentence because Jamie was wearing a dress. A simple black dress, but a dress nonetheless. She hadn’t expected her to wear a dress. And she looked _hot_.

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Jamie teased as she continued to make her way closer to Dani. “Thought this date might be worth dressing up for.” She stopped in front of the blonde and let her eyes wander over Dani’s body.

“Dani, you look stunning,” Jamie breathed out as her gaze finally lifted to meet Dani’s. “You always do, but just, wow.”

Dani grinned and felt some of her nerves begin to ease. Yes, she was going on her first date with Jamie…but it was Jamie. She didn’t need to be so worried.

“I would have come all the way up to your door, you know,” Jamie teased as she began to lead the way over to her truck. “You didn’t need to come out and meet me.”

“I know,” Dani said as she tried to keep her embarrassment at bay. She didn’t want to admit that she had been so anxious that waiting even a minute longer in her apartment for Jamie to reach her door had seemed unbearable.

On the drive to the restaurant Jamie had selected, which was a couple towns over, Dani wondered if Jamie had already picked up on how nervous she was. Although Jamie didn’t draw attention to it, the conversation was light and easy, without much flirtation as if she could sense that it might overload Dani’s brain before their date truly began.

Or perhaps Jamie was nervous too. Sure, Jamie had boldly flirted with her plenty of times before, but this was the first time they were both actually acknowledging the attraction between them. They were both ready and willing to explore the connection that had been present since the first time they met.

They arrived at the restaurant and Dani felt her excitement nearly double. It was a small Italian restaurant, tucked away on a side street. It felt intimate and cozy due to its limited space, and not too formal so as to feel extravagant. It was a fantastic choice and Dani was impressed with the selection of first date venue. She let Jamie know as much and watched as a pleased smile spread across Jamie’s face as they were led to their table.

The polite small talk continued for a while as they covered all the usual topics – Jamie’s new job, Dani’s classes, the increasingly cold weather and dwindling hours of daylight.

Once they’d placed their dinner order and the wine they selected arrived at the table, Dani felt herself begin to relax. She sipped her wine as she glanced around the restaurant, most of the tables were filled but there was a sense of privacy that put her at ease. She felt like she and Jamie could talk without any of the nearby patrons overhearing.

“So is it incredibly obvious this is my first time going on a date with a woman?” Dani joked, deciding to just bluntly address her nerves, which she knew Jamie had to have noticed by now.

“Maybe a little,” Jamie said with a playful smile. “Is it obvious it’s my first time as well?”

“It is?” Dani asked, her eyes widening in surprise as she set down her wine glass.

“I’ll take that as a no then,” Jamie chuckled. “I can’t say I’ve ever gone on a proper date before. Might be a bit nervous, though I’m not sure if it’s because of the whole ‘first date’ thing or just because it’s you.”

Dani grinned at the compliment and found her anxiety lifting even more as she realized that Jamie was just as new to all of this as she was. Well, perhaps not quite as new to everything. She remembered the conversation from Halloween and found herself wondering about Jamie’s romantic history. “I know this might not be the best topic to bring up on a first date…but I’m just curious how much, um, experience you have with women? I mean, I know about the magic fingers story, but not much else.”

“Oh god, had to go and bring that up, did you?” Jamie teased, but didn’t seem put off by the question. “To answer your question, I don’t have much experience really. As you now know, this is my first real date. But I’ve, uh, done some stuff with a couple of women.”

“Done some stuff?” Dani questioned with a smirk at the vague reply.

“Yeah,” Jamie confirmed as she picked up her wine glass and took a long sip.

“Stuff like…sex?”

Jamie choked on her wine and cleared her throat before responding, “I was trying not to put too fine a point on it, but yeah.”

“You can say it, you know. It’s not like I’m gonna be upset about the fact you’ve been with other women.” Dani said with a warm smile as she took a sip from her own glass. Even though she was all too happy to be spared details of the encounters, she wanted Jamie to feel comfortable sharing about her past.

“Yeah, it’s just…odd, I suppose,” Jamie explained. “I hooked up with two, well two and a half, women. But I wasn’t particularly interested in any of them, hence not having a first date before now. I certainly didn’t like any of them the way I like you…so it just feels a little weird to talk about them when I’m with you.”

Dani couldn’t help but feel flattered, and perhaps a bit smug, that Jamie hadn’t felt as attracted to anyone else that she’d been with. However, another part of Jamie’s statement caught her attention and she couldn’t resist the urge to comment.

“Two and a half?” She quirked an eyebrow and waited for Jamie to explain.

“Yeah, I’ve, uh, ‘gone all the way’ with two. Made out with another at a concert once, but I don’t really count that the same. So, two and a half.”

“You made out with me,” Dani pointed out. “I don’t make the tally?”

“Poppins, you’re in a whole different category,” Jamie said with a smile.

“A better category?” Dani asked as she leaned forward, arms resting gently on the table.

“Is that a serious question?”

“No.”

Jamie chuckled and shook her head in amusement, “Good. I thought I’d been making it pretty clear how I feel about you. Wasn’t sure what more I could do.” She lifted her wine glass to her lips as her gaze remained locked with Dani’s.

Dani felt her heart start to race at the amount of adoration in Jamie’s expression. She thought about just how upfront Jamie had been about her attraction towards her and how closed off she’d been in return. Although she knew she’d just been trying to respect boundaries while Jamie was a student, she couldn’t help but feel like maybe it was time to be a bit more honest.

“I like you, Jamie,” Dani said softly as she let herself ease open the lid she’d been keeping tightly on her thoughts and feelings regarding the woman sitting across from her. “I don’t think I’ve been too open with you about that. Saturday night might have been a bit of an indication,” she paused to smirk at Jamie before her expression turned into one of genuine affection. “I really, really like you.”

Jamie’s delighted smile was enough to convince Dani she’d make the right decision by opening up. She forced herself to hold Jamie’s gaze instead of nervously looking away; she wanted to make sure Jamie could see how much she meant what she had said.

Their food arrived, but the two women only spared the briefest of glances at their waiter to quietly offer a ‘thank you’ before they returned their attention to one another.

“If you keep looking at me like that, I’m not opposed to leaving this food untouched and heading back to yours,” Jamie said as a playful smile appeared on her lips.

Dani laughed and dropped her gaze to her plate. She only allowed her mind a moment to follow that train of thought and picture what kinds of activities they could get up to back at her flat. However, she quickly dismissed the idea before it could take hold enough to persuade her. “Seeing as it’s both of our first time on a date with a woman, I think we owe it to ourselves to do it properly.”

“I was proposing that we do it properly,” Jamie shot back with a smirk.

Dani felt the heat rise to her cheeks as Jamie effortlessly twisted her words around into a flirtatious remark. She shook her head as she let out a low chuckle, trying to rein in her libido. “You seem pretty confident that I’m putting out for you tonight.”

Jamie’s eyes darkened with arousal before she seemed to get a hold on her own desire by glancing down at the table and clearing her throat. “Not confident…more like wishful thinking,” she explained as she picked up her fork.

Dani turned her own attention to her food. Although she was a little disappointed Jamie hadn’t pushed the issue further, she also knew she wanted a chance to finish what was shaping up to be an amazing first date and not just rush through it to satisfy her urges. There was also the issue of the entirely new set of nerves that were tied to tackling another first with Jamie; she wasn’t sure she could cope with that on top of what she’d already experienced anticipating their first date. There was no rush, she reminded herself. There would be time for all the firsts with Jamie. She just had to take it one step at a time.

The conversation didn’t stop while they ate; however, it did shift to lighter, safer topics. Dani was grateful for the break from longing looks and flirtatious quips because she knew that a mouthful of pasta combined with one of Jamie’s bolder remarks might pose a choking hazard.

The earlier temptation to blow off dinner altogether seemed to pass as they took their time enjoying their meal, finishing their bottle of wine, sharing dessert. Jamie appeared to be in no rush and Dani was grateful as it gave them time to enjoy their date seemingly with no expectations for what would come after.

When the bill arrived, Dani quickly grabbed it when she saw Jamie reach for it. “This is on me,” she insisted, “After all, I’m the one who asked you out.”

“But I picked the restaurant,” Jamie protested. “Surely the one who plans the date gets to pay,” she said as she reached for the bill again.

“Nope.” Dani playfully swatted her hand away before laying down enough cash to cover the bill and a generous tip. “You can get the next one,” she said as she stood up and began to head towards the exit before Jamie could argue over the bill any more.

“Next one?” Jamie asked with a grin as she followed Dani out of the restaurant. “Does that mean I’m getting a second date?”

“If you want one,” Dani replied with a shrug, pleased that she was able to play it so cool when she felt anything but. In fact, her stomach had been knotted with nerves since she’d casually slipped the idea of a next date into the conversation.

“Oh I definitely want one,” Jamie murmured as she fell in step with Dani, her fingers gently brushing along the back of Dani’s hand.

Dani felt her breath catch and she glanced around, ensuring they had a fair bit of privacy and distance from anyone else out wandering the streets at night, before she slipped her hand into Jamie’s. “Good,” she replied with a joyful smile. “I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with for our second date.”

“So I have to plan your dates and my dates?” Jamie teased, but gave Dani’s hand a little squeeze to let her know she wasn’t complaining.

“You want me to plan it?”

“No,” Jamie said with a scoff, “You hardly know anything around here except the school. No way I’m trusting you to plan my date.”

“Oh, it’s your date now?” Dani said as they reached the truck and she turned to face Jamie, their hands still clasped. “And here I thought it was _our_ date.”

“Definitely our date,” Jamie agreed as her gaze dropped down to Dani’s lips. For a moment, it looked like she was about to lean in, but she seemed to think better of it as she glanced around before dropping Dani’s hand and shifting to open the car door for her.

Dani settled into her seat as she waited for Jamie to walk around the truck. She was still wrestling with the idea of what she felt prepared for once they got back to her place. The driver’s side door opened and Dani pushed the thought aside, deciding not to overthink it and let the evening run its course, whatever that may be.

“Speaking of second dates…” Jamie began as she started the car and set them on course back to Dani’s flat. “If you don’t subscribe to the idea of waiting a certain amount of time before a next date, I was thinking maybe we could do something tomorrow night, seeing as it’s Bonfire Night. Your first Bonfire Night, if I’m not mistaken.”

Dani’s eyes lit up with excitement. She’d heard about the yearly celebration, of course, but had yet to see what it was all about. “It is my first,” she agreed with a nod. “Although since I know very little about it, I’m not so sure it qualifies as a second date. Care to tell me what you have in mind?”

Jamie chuckled as she glanced over. “Well, I was thinking we could pick up a bottle of whatever you’d like. We can drive to someplace with a bonfire; one of the more scenic destinations…an old castle, maybe? And we just wander and talk, enjoy some food, some alcohol. Make a night of it.”

A smile spread across Dani’s face as she pictured what Jamie was describing. “I think that sounds like an amazing second date.”

“Alright, I’ll pick you up tomorrow night. Maybe around seven?” Jamie glanced over with a smile that did little to hide how excited she was about the prospect of their next date.

Dani nodded her agreement as she did her best to contain her own eager smile at the thought of seeing Jamie again so soon. Even though it was definitely moving quickly, she couldn’t find it in her to care.

During the drive home, Dani asked Jamie questions about the history of Bonfire Night to supplement what little knowledge she’d picked up about it during her time in England. By the time they reached Dani’s building, she found herself wishing it was already the following night so they could head off to their next adventure.

Jamie turned off the engine as she glanced over at Dani, a smile tugging at her lips. “Are you going to let me walk you to the door, or are you just going to rush off?”

Dani laughed at the jab about her impatience at the start of the date. “I suppose I can let you walk me in,” she conceded but paused as she was hit with a wave of anxiety as she considered that Jamie might be expecting more than a goodnight kiss.

She knew she’d decided not to overthink things and right now her body was sending a very clear message that she wasn’t ready. Not yet.

She grabbed Jamie’s hand to keep her in the car as the brunette made a move to open her door. “I just – uh, I don’t want you to…I mean, it just feels a little-”

“Poppins,” Jamie said slowly as she ran her thumb over Dani’s knuckles, “Breathe and then talk.”

A burst of nervous laughter escaped Dani as she nodded. She inhaled deeply as she gathered her thoughts and then exhaled out her worry; she didn’t need to be worried around Jamie.

“I’d love for you to walk me up,” she explained as she met Jamie’s gaze. “And I’d like to invite you into my flat for a proper goodnight kiss so my neighbors don’t get a show. But I don’t want to get your hopes up about anything more than that happening tonight. I do want it to happen…but I just don’t think I’m ready yet.” Even though she wasn’t exactly worried about Jamie’s reaction, she still felt a little guilty. Jamie had been with women and likely didn’t have the same anxiety and fear that Dani had.

“I’m never gonna rush you,” Jamie reassured her as she gently squeezed Dani’s hand. “I told you on Saturday, I’m fine with moving at whatever pace you want. I hope I didn’t worry you earlier with my comments about skipping dinner to come back here. I mean, I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t have absolutely followed through with that if you’d been up for it, but I was also just joking. I know this is all new for you and I’m more than fine with taking things slow.”

Dani felt her heart swell at Jamie’s words and she was overwhelmed by just how strongly she felt about the woman in front of her. She was desperate to have some sort of contact with Jamie to thank her for being so patient and understanding, but she knew that in a truck outside her flat wasn’t the best place to do so.

“I think you should walk me in now,” Dani said as she released Jamie’s hand so she could exit out of her side of the truck.

Dani quickly led the way into her building. The urge to kiss Jamie was rapidly building with each second that passed and she couldn’t be bothered with moving at a normal pace. She was sure that Jamie was thoroughly amused by her rush; she could tell as much from the smirk on the other woman’s lips every time Dani spared a glance over her shoulder to make sure Jamie was still following her. However, she didn’t let that slow her pace in the slightest, even as she struggled to get the key to cooperate with the lock. After a satisfying click of the lock sliding back, Dani threw open her front door and led the way into her apartment.

“Can’t say I really walked you to your door,” Jamie commented with a low chuckle as she followed Dani into the flat. “I think that typically requires that you match pace with the person you’re supposed to be walking with.”

Dani let out a thin laugh as she turned to shut the door behind them. Truthfully, she was too distracted by her own thoughts to pay much attention, but she could tell from Jamie’s tone that it had been a joke.

“With how fast you were moving, it seemed like you were running away. Which might have bruised my ego a bit if you hadn’t practically demanded that I walk you in…” Jamie continued with a playful tone.

With the door securely shut and keeping them away from any prying eyes, Dani spun to face Jamie, who was standing a few feet away in the open space between her kitchen and living room. It only took three steps for Dani to close the space between them. Her hands reached up to cup Jamie’s face as she simultaneously pulled her in while leaning closer to connect their lips.

The resulting kiss was harder and less graceful than Dani had intended. Jamie didn’t seem to mind as she let out a startled gasp before her hands instantly moved to grab Dani’s waist. They quickly settled into an increasingly familiar rhythm of lips moving together. Dani’s hold on Jamie’s face remained firm as she pulled her harder into the kiss; Jamie, meanwhile, tugged on Dani’s hips to bring her closer – eliminating any remaining space between them.

Once she was sure Jamie was fully engaged in the kiss, as if that had even been a concern, she slowly trailed her fingers along the well-defined jawline, briefly slipping through soft brown curls before she let her arms wrap around Jamie’s neck. Her tongue only had to make the briefest of contact with Jamie’s lower lip before the other woman’s mouth was opening in an eager invitation, which Dani happily accepted.

Although Dani knew it had only been a few days since she was last kissing Jamie like this, it felt like it had been entirely too long. The feeling of Jamie’s tongue moving against her own as her hands clung desperately to her waist, fingers digging into her hips in an unexpectedly pleasant way, was intoxicating to Dani. She could practically feel the want and the need rolling off of Jamie. And compared to all the previous times Dani had sensed similar desires radiating from the person she was kissing, she found that this time she felt the exact same way.

Jamie was the first to pull away from the kiss, but didn’t put any distance between their bodies as she rested her forehead against Dani’s. “That’s a hell of a goodnight kiss, love.”

A shiver ran up Dani’s spine at the term of endearment. She knew it was too commonly used in England to hold any deeper meaning, but she couldn’t deny that she liked hearing it. It certainly sounded a lot better coming from Jamie than the elderly shopkeepers who called her ‘love’ at the checkout counter.

“Do you have to go already?” Dani asked as she stroked a hand through Jamie’s hair. “I was kinda hoping we could just do this for a little while. If that’s alright with you.”

“That’s more than alright with me,” Jamie replied before leaning in to reconnect their lips. They quickly worked back up to an almost frantic pace and Dani knew her lips would be swollen tomorrow, but she just couldn’t find it in her to care. Not when Jamie was kissing her this insistently, her teeth nipping at her bottom lip before sucking it into her mouth.

At one point, Dani was aware that they were moving; that Jamie was urging her backwards without breaking the kiss. She wasn’t quite sure what the final destination was, but quickly figured it out after a matter of only a few steps backward when her back collided with the wall. Jamie’s hands had moved behind her head and back to take the brunt of the impact, for which Dani was grateful. But not quite as grateful as she was when Jamie moved her hands to brace herself against the wall on either side of Dani’s head as she pressed her body fully against Dani’s, pinning her to the wall.

The amount of contact the new position granted them was fantastic and Dani was glad Jamie had decided to move them. Her hands moved slowly down Jamie’s back, pressing her even closer and marveling at how delicious it felt to have Jamie flush against her.

Not wanting to be left out, one of Jamie’s hands moved to Dani’s side, moving in the opposite direction from the hands sliding down her back as she slowly worked her hand up. Dani was thoroughly enjoying running her tongue gently, teasingly along Jamie’s when suddenly the other woman was pulling back again. She wanted to be frustrated by the disruption, but forced herself to stay calm as she focused on drawing oxygen in to her warm, flushed body.

Jamie’s chest was heaving as she steadied her own breathing; however, her attention was focused on her own hand which stroked over Dani’s ribs. With the slight distance between them caused by Jamie pulling away to catch her breath, her hand began inching away from Dani’s side and steadily moving closer to the center of her chest. Jamie’s eyes flicked up to meet the blue eyes that were fixed on her.

“Is it alright if I…” Jamie trailed off as her hand continued to slowly inch higher to finish her question through her actions rather than her words.

Dani felt her breath catch in her throat as she caught on to what Jamie was asking and she eagerly nodded. However, a stray thought reminded her to be cautious not to lead Jamie on. The last thing she wanted was for this night to end with Jamie getting frustrated and storming out. “I just want to make it clear, I haven’t changed my mind about not being ready to…‘go all the way’ tonight.”

Rather than seeming disappointed, Jamie looked amused by Dani’s clarification. Or perhaps she was just amused by Dani’s use of a euphemism to express she wasn’t ready to have sex with a woman yet.

“Relax Poppins, I’m not trying to fuck you,” Jamie reassured her, “I just wanted to see if it was alright if I took this to second base. But if that’s not okay, just tell me.” Her smile was playful, perhaps at her need to explain things by way of bases as if this was Dani’s first time making out with someone. Underneath the teasing though, there was a sincerity that let Dani know Jamie really would be okay if she said no. But she really didn’t want to say no.

“That’s…I’m…yeah, that’s fine,” Dani stumbled over her words as she nodded.

An excited smile slid across the brunette’s face, but she was only able to see it for a moment before Jamie leaned back in. Rather than claiming her lips, Jamie’s mouth ended up trailing a line of kisses along Dani’s neck as her hand resumed its path upward.

Dani let out a soft moan as Jamie’s hand made contact with her breast and her head dropped back against the wall to give Jamie’s mouth even more room to explore. Although there were layers of fabric, too many layers it seemed, that separated Jamie’s hand from her skin, she could still feel the warmth that radiated from her touch.

“Jamie,” she whispered as she brought a hand up to wrap in brown curls, not guiding, just resting and following the path Jamie set. In response, the hand on her breast tightened its grasp just enough to elicit a moan.

Struck by her own desire to explore, Dani moved her other hand up to Jamie’s waist before shifting lower to mindlessly stroke over the soft fabric covering her thigh.

The feeling of teeth sinking into her neck caused Dani to emit a gasp as her hands instinctively tightened their hold on Jamie’s hair and dress. The rough nip was quickly soothed by a teasing swipe of Jamie’s tongue followed by a tender kiss.

Dani slowly released her grip on Jamie’s dress, but found her hand wandering lower, slipping under the material before sliding back up to her hip.

Jamie pulled away enough to let out a low chuckle. “Blimey, someone’s feeling quite bold.” The sensual tone of her voice, laced with only a hint of surprise indicated that she wasn’t complaining.

Dani smirked as she used her grip on Jamie’s hair to pull her in for a fervid kiss. Rather than feeling embarrassed for being called out for her wandering hand, she still felt a craving to explore more new territory. She wasn’t sure if it was because of the fire building low in her abdomen or if it was her frustration with the layers of clothing preventing her from properly feeling Jamie’s hand as she continued to caress and squeeze her breast. Whatever the reason for her sudden boldness, Dani didn’t question it and let her hand slide around to grab Jamie’s ass.

Jamie gasped into her mouth before she pulled away and stared at Dani with a heated gaze.

“Too much?” Dani asked, suddenly feeling a bit nervous and prepared to move her hand if she’d crossed some sort of line.

Jamie let out a low laugh as she shook her head, “I don’t think you have to worry about too much with me. Just feels a little uneven all the sudden,” she teased as she used the hand on Dani’s chest to tug on the fabric of her dress to illustrate her point.

Dani caught on to what she was referring to as Jamie was leaning back in to resume their kiss. However, before their lips could connect, Dani was moving her hand out from under Jamie’s dress.

A disappointed frown crossed Jamie’s face as Dani gently nudged her to take a step back. “Poppins, I was only joking, I didn’t-”

“Can you give me a hand?” Dani cut her off as she turned so her back was to Jamie and she gestured vaguely at the zipper. “Not all the way,” she added as an afterthought lest Jamie get the wrong idea.

There was only a moment’s pause before she felt gentle fingers tugging the zipper down. When she felt the trailing hand hit the middle of her back, she turned around to face Jamie. Although she felt a bit nervous about her next move, her eagerness to resume their previous activities far outweighed her nerves. She held Jamie’s lust-filled gaze as she pulled the neck of her dress down, letting her arms slip through the sleeves until the top half of the dress folded to hang around her waist.

For a moment, Dani felt a stab of vulnerability standing practically topless in front of Jamie, with only the thin material of her pale pink bra obstructing her chest from view. That moment quickly passed as she watched Jamie’s gaze drift over her, hungrily drinking her in before she stepped forward to close the gap between them, pinning Dani to the wall once more.

Dani couldn’t help her grin as Jamie’s hands immediately found their way to her chest, eagerly groping her through the material of her bra. However, Jamie’s lips soon descended on hers and her smugness was replaced with her desire for Jamie. Her tongue quickly found its way back into Jamie’s mouth as her hand once again resumed its bold path under the black dress.

This time, she didn’t take any detours as she headed right to grab hold of Jamie’s ass. The thin material of Jamie’s panties presented a frustrating barrier preventing her from fully feeling the soft, warm skin against her hand that she so desperately craved. But she figured Jamie was equally frustrated by her bra, so at least they were on equal ground.

Although she wouldn’t have minded less barriers between them, she knew that removing any more clothes would take her to a place she probably wouldn’t be able to turn back from. It was already getting increasingly difficult to not just give in to the arousal pooling in her abdomen, but there was still a hint of fear and she knew until she properly grappled with that on her own, she wouldn’t feel truly comfortable going any further with Jamie.

But this…the kissing and the groping she was thoroughly enjoying and wanted to keep enjoying it until she knew she had to stop.

It was several long, very pleasurable moments later when their passionate kisses were brought to an end by Jamie once more. Dani didn’t mind the opportunity to catch her breath and smiled as she watched Jamie inhale deeply to try and control her ragged breathing.

“Right, I think I should probably head out,” Jamie said with a small smile as she ran a hand through her messy curls.

“Oh, really?” Dani asked, unable to hide her disappointed frown. She wasn’t quite ready to end their post-date activities and figured she still had at least a good fifteen minutes until she needed to end things before she passed the point of no return.

Jamie seemed to be rethinking things for a moment as her eyes drifted down to Dani’s flushed chest. She swallowed roughly before her gaze dragged back up to meet eyes that were more black than blue at this point. “Yeah,” Jamie exhaled. “Unless you’ve changed your mind about how far you want to take things…I think I should go.”

Dani bit her lip as she gently shook her head. She felt bad about not going further tonight, but it was only a first date. She knew she should go easier on herself for not being ready quite yet.

“Hey, it’s fine,” Jamie said softly, as if picking up on her hint of guilt. “Like I said, we’ll go at whatever pace you want. In fact, I’m pleasantly surprised at the pace this evening has taken,” she admitted with a grin. “I, uh, think I’m enjoying it a little too much, which is why I should take my leave because I can’t stop thinking about all the things I wanna do to you while I have you pinned to this wall. Things that you made it clear you’re not up for tonight.”

Dani felt her heart stutter in her chest as she began to picture the things she was sure were also running through Jamie’s mind. She felt her face flush even more at the thought of Jamie’s hand snaking under her dress, pushing her panties aside…it could be so quick and then she wouldn’t have to continue to make herself anxious over her first time with a woman.

“But you deserve better than a quick fuck up against a wall,” Jamie continued. “For our first time, at least. I can’t promise that I won’t take you against this very wall at some point in the future.”

Dani couldn’t contain the startled laugh that escaped her. Although Jamie’s comments weren’t doing a thing to cool her desire, she appreciated that Jamie was respecting her request to wait.

“Thank you,” she whispered before leaning in to give her a brief peck, not wanting to get caught up in the moment again. “I had an amazing time tonight.”

“Me too,” Jamie gave her a warm smile as she reached out to squeeze her hand before making her way to the door. “Have to say, I really like the way you say goodnight after a first date.”

“You should see how I say goodnight after a second date,” Dani called out, unable to stop herself from making the flirtatious comment. She watched as Jamie’s hand stilled on the door knob as she shot her a lustful look.

“Fuckin’ hell,” Jamie muttered as she finally pulled the door open, “What have I gotten myself into?” She glanced over once more at Dani, her usual smirk in place. “I’ll see you at seven for that date tomorrow?”

“Looking forward to it,” Dani replied with an eager smile. She watched as Jamie left, but waited until the door had shut behind her to lock up seeing as she was still half-dressed and didn’t want to give her neighbors a peep show.

She coasted through her usual nighttime routine still on a high from such an incredible first date. Although she didn’t want to compare it to dates she’d had in the past, knowing it wasn’t very fair to Eddie, she couldn’t help but notice that nearly everything about the night was different from what she was used to. Different in the best possible way.

As Dani settled herself in for bed, she couldn’t stop thinking about how this was the way it was supposed to be. Everything about the evening had felt so wonderful and so right in a way she hadn’t known was possible. A content smile spread across her face as she closed her eyes and wondered what was in store for her next adventure with Jamie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first date! Just a little bit of fun fluff and some mild groping lol. 
> 
> To everyone who wanted/was expecting deeper conversations or dark backstories, it's just a first date! They need to work up to that...gotta save something for the second date ;)


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everyone! I wanted to fit in one more update before the start of 2021 (at least in my timezone).
> 
> Before we start, a big thank you to paperkites3 and colour_outside_the_lines for patiently answering my many questions about Bonfire Night. As an American, I have a hard time wrapping my head around it (it's like...4th of July? But colder and with a bonfire?) Anyway, if my description of the event even seems slightly accurate, it's all thanks to them. 
> 
> Also, I want to note that we're getting into slightly rated territory with the beginning of this chapter. It's not the smut you're all waiting for, but I hope you enjoy it. And I want to give a shoutout to FanAddicted2000 for giving me the idea in a comment on a previous chapter. It's a really important step for Dani and I'm glad you gave me the idea to include it!

Dani supposed that given how her evening ended, she shouldn’t have been too surprised to wake up from a shockingly realistic sex dream the next morning.

However, it didn’t stop her from feeling any less frustrated – she was frustrated when she checked the clock and realized she’d woken up a full forty minutes before her alarm and she was frustrated by the dull ache between her legs that was nearly as bad as it had been when Jamie left the night before.

Jamie. The reason behind her early morning frustration, no doubt. The details of the dream were already starting to fade as Dani was pulled further from sleep into the reality of the grey early morning, but she was certain that Jamie had been the star of her dreams.

Her mind idly wandered back to the phone call from nearly two weeks ago when Jamie had admitted to taking care of herself to fantasies of Dani. She felt a tightening in her lower abdomen in response to the memory and the resulting mental image that it conjured. She recalled the way Jamie had been so disappointed when she denied that she’d ever done the same.

It wasn’t based on any moral reasons not to partake in such activities; although, at the time, there would have been plenty of reasons for her to question her morals if she’d been touching herself to thoughts of Jamie. Now, however, there was even fewer barriers in her way; no reason not to take care of herself if she so desired. After all, Jamie had heartily encouraged her to do so – and to think about _her_ while doing it.

Dani felt her face start to flush from even considering such thoughts. She knew it was a bit ridiculous to get so embarrassed by thinking about touching herself in the safety and privacy of her own flat. There was no reason not to do it…yet she couldn’t help but reflect on all the times she’d attempted it in the past only to be left in a worse state than when she’d started.

There were the times she’d tried in high school and college. She’d been with Edmund at the time, but her needs hadn’t exactly been…fulfilled during their attempts at intimacy. Sex with Eddie always left her feeling like something was missing – like she was doing something wrong because it just wasn’t living up to what she expected it to be like.

Sure, her mother’s frequent rants about the lack of utility of men hadn’t left her with romantic notions about what it would be like to make love for the first time. But her mother had also, very drunkenly, commented more than once about needing a man ‘for a good screw’; an offhanded statement that both nauseated Dani and furthered her confusion because she could honestly say she’d never once felt like she needed or craved physical intimacy from Eddie. Rather, it was something she endured when he came to her and initiated those types of activities.

She’d felt broken, or perhaps, just wired wrong. So, on several occasions, she’d attempted to sort things out by masturbating. But every time she tried, it hadn’t led anywhere. Thinking of Eddie didn’t get her anywhere. And trying to think of someone other than Eddie, like the ruggedly handsome Hollywood action stars all her friends had crushes on…or on one occasion, the cute barista at the coffee shop on campus with the long brown hair and killer smile, only made her feel incredibly guilty and shut down the thoughts before anything could happen.

Even after she left Eddie, and America, behind, she had found on the few occasions she had tried touching herself that it was just as futile an effort because she felt guilty about leaving Eddie because she knew how much he loved her. However, she realized that she hadn’t tried to take matters into her own hands since she’d come out to him over the phone; since she’d actually accepted that she was a lesbian.

Dani glanced at the clock again. She certainly had time to kill before she needed to get ready for school. And the thought of teaching a full day of classes while this sexually frustrated was less than appealing.

Dani took a deep breath as she settled into her decision. She owed it to herself to make a real effort to do this; to fully accept her attraction towards women and how it fueled her desire without any lingering guilt. Perhaps this was what she needed to do in order to jump that final hurdle of self-acceptance before she could fully, and readily, allow herself to be intimate with Jamie.

Just the thought of reaching that step with Jamie was enough to send another jolt of arousal through her. Her mind made up, she reached under the covers and shimmied her underwear down her thighs and out from underneath her nightgown before lazily tossing them in direction of her hamper. As she slid her nightgown up around her waist, her nerves began to build while she reflected on what she was about to do.

After another deep breath, Dani pushed her nerves away. She was an adult about to partake in a totally normal and healthy exploration of her sexuality. She knew better than to be nervous, and yet…

She closed her eyes and tried to summon visuals to distract from her nerves. The details of her steamy dream were now far too foggy and distant to be of much use. But she still had very vivid memories of the night before.

Dani tried to recall every detail of how it felt while Jamie had her pinned to the wall. Jamie’s mouth on her lips, her neck…her hands on her breasts. Dani felt her hips shift in a desperate attempt to feel something. Without the firm press of Jamie’s lower half holding her against the wall, her hips felt entirely too unconstrained and restless.

She kept her eyes closed as she continued pulling up images from the night before. The ache between her thighs was steadily building and Dani knew she needed to do something about it or she really was going to have a miserable day. She placed a hand on her stomach before slowly trailing it down between her legs – the action was familiar from her previous attempts, but the wetness she found already pooled there was certainly new.

Dani was certain she’d never explored her own body when she’d been this aroused and the evidence of it was gathering on her fingers as she leisurely stroked along her folds, reveling in her discovery. She couldn’t help but picture how smug Jamie would be if she knew she was the reason Dani was more turned on than she’d ever been while taking care of herself. Hell, Jamie would be smug just knowing Dani was taking care of herself to thoughts of her, never mind how aroused she was while doing it.

Picturing that incredibly attractive smirk only turned Dani on more and her hips shifted against her hand. Her fingers brushed against her clit and she let out a gasp at the sensation that shot through her. Although she had half a mind to stay in bed all morning, simply taking her time with her exploration and celebrating that perhaps she wasn’t as broken as she thought, realistically she knew she needed to move things along if she didn’t want to be late for work.

She set a gentle but steady circular rhythm over her clit as she continued to replay the events of the evening before. Soft moans and whimpers were falling freely from her lips, but she didn’t make any attempt to hold them back. She was alone in her apartment; she was safe to explore. Plus, Jamie had said she hoped she was loud, so she figured she should get used to not holding anything back. The thought caused her face to flush while her hips jumped up to press harder against her hand.

She set a harder, more insistent rhythm as she continued to think about the night before. She thought about what Jamie had said when she finally pulled away for the evening – how she’d been distracted by all the things she’d wanted to do to Dani right there against that wall. Although Dani found it very sweet that Jamie wanted their first time together to be more than just a quick fuck right then and there…she let mind start to visualize if things had been different.

Jamie could have easily reached a hand under her dress; the panties she’d worn last night would have been so easy to push to one side. She tried to picture Jamie’s face as she touched her for the first time; as she felt how wet Dani was for her. At the rate they’d been going last night, there wouldn’t have been any slow and gentle exploration – or perhaps with how worked up Dani currently found herself, she didn’t want to waste time picturing slow and gentle. She imagined Jamie sliding one finger into her, quickly followed by two, and her hips bucked sharply at the thought.

Wanting to help picture the sensations she was conjuring up, she slid her hand lower to slip in one finger, but added a second when she realized just how aroused she was. Her fingers thrusted to match the pace she was imagining Jamie setting and they curled in the way she wanted Jamie to touch her.

It wasn’t going to be enough though, not without Jamie actually there to touch her and set her own pace, so she slipped her fingers out and returned to her clit. Her pace was rapid, nearly frantic, as she continued to get lost in her daydream of Jamie fucking her up against a wall. She could feel her climax building, but didn’t take the time to celebrate this little victory after all of her past failures at reaching even this point during her attempts at self-exploration.

Jamie’s name began to fall from her lips in an eager, whispered plea as she rocked her hips into her hand in time with the frenzied pace of her fingers. It was a final image conjured of Jamie’s face, looking smug and proud at how worked up and desperate she’d gotten her, that finally sent Dani over the edge. Her fingers continued to press insistent circles even as her back arched off the bed, her toes curling and her head pressing hard into the pillow. A strangled cry left her lips, louder than she’d intended and almost surprising given how unexpected it had been.

When she finally sank back into the mattress and stilled her hand, she felt worn out and sated, but oddly energized. A dazed chuckle escaped her as she used the hand that wasn’t coated in her own arousal to rub over her face.

As Dani took a moment to appreciate the fact that she was very much _not_ broken and fully capable of taking care of herself, she became aware of a new thought desperately trying to make itself known. While she’d enjoyed coming apart due to her own hand, she knew she was ready, eager even, to see what would happen when she was in Jamie’s hands. And even more than that, she was excited to get her hands on Jamie.

* * *

“Do you have a minute?”

Dani glanced up from her desk to see Owen hovering in her doorway, clutching two steaming mugs.

“Sure, come in,” Dani replied with a grin. Owen stopping by for a visit before her first class of the day was a first, but it was a very welcome surprise. Or perhaps, Dani’s satisfying start to her day just caused her to be in an even better mood than usual.

As Owen drew closer, Dani could tell he looked a bit off as he handed her a mug. “I come bearing coffee.”

“Thank you,” Dani enthused as she gratefully accepted what was bound to be a much better cup of coffee than the one she’d made for herself that morning. “What’s up?”

Owen shifted as he stared down at his own mug, “I, uh, followed your advice yesterday…and it didn’t exactly go the way I’d hoped.”

“My advice?” Dani asked as her eyebrows knit together in confusion and she racked her brain to try and remember what advice she had given Owen. Truthfully, so much had happened since she’d last seen him, she was having trouble recalling all the specifics of their conversation.

Owen glanced over his shoulder, as if checking to make sure they were still alone. “I asked Hannah out yesterday.”

“Oh!” Dani’s expression transformed from confusion to surprise to excitement. “How did you do it? And what did she say?” As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them because he’d already told her it hadn’t gone the way he’d hoped.

“Well, seeing as tonight is Bonfire Night, I asked if she’d like to go to one of the nearby fireworks displays with me. And she said yes.”

“Okay…that’s good, right?” Dani asked as she tried to figure out where things had gone wrong. It was hard to keep the smile from her face at the mention of Bonfire Night, because she was already very much looking forward to her date with Jamie later that evening.

“Yes, I suppose,” he agreed. “However, it seems she thought I intended it to be a gathering of friends. When I saw her this morning, she mentioned that Rebecca would be joining us and asked if I’d already had a chance to invite you as well.”

“Oh Owen,” Dani said with a sympathetic frown. She could only imagine how excited he must have been last night, thinking she’d agreed to go on a date with him only to realize their miscommunication this morning. “I’m so sorry. Is there anything I can do to help? I could say something to Hannah if you want…”

“No, no need for that,” Owen replied with a quick, panicked shake of his head. “I’m worried drawing her attention to the misunderstanding would only make things a bit awkward. Or perhaps she understood perfectly and this was her attempt to try to gently turn down my offer to take her on a date by making it an outing with friends.”

“I’m sure that’s not what she’s doing,” Dani replied, wanting to alleviate his fears. “I think it was just a genuine misunderstanding.”

Owen nodded as he used the hand not clutching his mug to run through his hair. “Yes, perhaps.” He seemed lost in thought for a moment before he turned his gaze back to Dani. “The reason I’m bothering you with this is because I was wondering if you might be willing to do me a favor.”

“What is it?” Dani asked, her face lighting up in a smile at the thought of being able to help in some way.

“I was hoping you might come along and join us tonight. I told Hannah I’d invite you, or she would have done it herself during the dinner break.” He paused and seemed to consider his next request before meeting Dani’s gaze, a hopeful plea in his eyes. “But maybe you could keep Rebecca occupied elsewhere for a while. Give me a chance to get up the courage to ask Hannah on a proper date? I don’t think I’ll be able to do that with Rebecca hanging around, she’s been teasing me about asking Hannah out for months and I’m worried the moment I actually try, she’ll start off on her jokes, not realizing I’m trying to be genuine.”

A soft smile crossed Dani’s face at how earnest Owen’s request was. She was sure this was the longest she’d seen him go without making a pun or a terrible joke. That alone showed her how nervous he was about this and how much it meant to him. Although agreeing to help him out would require sacrificing her own plans, she knew that helping out a friend in need was a noble cause. Besides, she and Jamie had just had a wonderful date the night before. Who was she to selfishly refuse to help Owen secure his own date and chance at romance?

“Of course, I’d be happy to go along and help out. I’m not quite sure what to expect tonight seeing as it’s my first ever Bonfire Night, but I’ll figure something out to keep Rebecca distracted.”

Owen’s face lit up with a grin. “Thank you, Dani. You’re a wonderful friend.” He raised his mug towards her, “I cannot espresso how much this means to me.”

Although she was tempted to roll her eyes at the pun, Dani was glad to see the return of his humor, knowing it was a clear sign his worry was starting to abate. “I’m happy to help.”

The sound of the morning bell alerted them to the fact that the school day was about to begin and Owen had limited time to return to the safety of the kitchen before twenty adolescents spilled through the door to the classroom.

“I’m sure Hannah will give you the details of the plans for this evening during the dinner break,” he explained as he began heading towards the door.

Dani nodded and waved her mug in his direction, “By the way, thanks a latte!”

“Oh Dani, that was just too obvious,” he said with a disappointed shake of his head. “Leave the puns to me, yeah?”

“I’m fine with that,” Dani agreed. She was sure their friends would also appreciate her not trying to give Owen a run for his money with bad jokes. With another smile and wave, Owen was gone. Dani leaned back heavily in her seat and allowed herself a moment of disappointment to mourn her change of plans for the evening.

The routine of the day kept her busy enough to prevent her from dwelling on her disappointment for long; however, during her brief moments of down time, she found herself worrying over how she was going to tell Jamie. She could vividly recall how upset Eddie would get whenever she’d had to reschedule a date, regardless of whether it was due to an urgent conflict or just because she felt drained after a long day. He wouldn’t get angry, but he would look like she’d ruined his whole day, his whole week even, by requesting that they move their plans to another night.

It had gotten to the point she would get anxious over the thought of asking to reschedule. She would turn down other, sometimes more important, plans, or she’d put on a brave face when she felt absolutely exhausted and just deal with it because at least then she didn’t have to deal with those wide, sad, disbelieving eyes. The quiet and suspicious request to know why she was cancelling.

So to say she was absolutely dreading the thought of asking Jamie to reschedule wasn’t an exaggeration. She didn’t want to upset Jamie as much as she’d used to upset Eddie. But she’d agreed to help Owen and her friendships here were still too new for her to feel comfortable letting her friend down.

When the school day was finally over, Dani decided to stop by the hardware store on her way home. She wasn’t entirely sure if Jamie would be working, but if she was, it would be easier to tell her in person than just hope that she managed to catch her by phone before Jamie left to come and pick her up for their date. The fact she had to cancel at all was bad enough, she couldn’t imagine having to do it at the last minute when Jamie was already at her flat.

Dani walked into the store and gave a friendly smile to the man behind the counter. She wandered through the aisles trying to locate the garden section while attempting to calm her nerves. She desperately wished there was some way she could split herself into two, so she could both help Owen and go on the date she was very much looking forward to, but unfortunately that just wasn’t an option. At least, not unless she’d missed an announcement about an amazing advancement in technology.

As she rounded a corner, she caught sight of Jamie up ahead and immediately smiled. Even though she was still nervous to talk to her, she couldn’t deny that just seeing Jamie made her happy. She hung back to pretend to look at some items on a shelf while Jamie was busy helping a customer.

She could tell Jamie hadn’t spotted her yet since her back was to her, but she didn’t mind because that gave her the chance to stealthily observe Jamie at work. However, even from a distance, she could tell Jamie was tense. Her posture was rigid and her arms were crossed over her midsection as she spoke to the man in front of her.

Dani wished she could hear what was being said; from the look of it, Jamie was none too pleased. Her tense demeanor while interacting with a customer wasn’t likely to win her employee of the month, but Dani doubted Jamie would care about that. It wasn’t long before the customer finally walked away, looking irritated, though not quite as annoyed as Jamie, who let out a huff as she spun around, fingers raking through her hair.

Jamie froze when she saw Dani and instantaneously her posture relaxed as a smile spread across her face.

“Wasn’t expecting to see you here,” Jamie said as she strolled over to where Dani was standing. “Desperate need for a garden hose in that tiny flat of yours?”

Dani quickly glanced over at the piles of green, coiled hose in front of her. She let out a chuckle before turning to face Jamie with a slight frown, finding that she couldn’t shake her curiosity over the exchange she’d just witnessed.

“Is everything okay?” She asked as she waved a hand in the direction Jamie had just come from, “I don’t want to interrupt if it’s a bad time.”

“Nah, not a bad time,” Jamie reassured her, her smile slightly fading. “Just another arrogant arsehole who thinks he can impress me by showing off how much he knows about hardware. As if proving he knows more than me about the shite in this store is going to make me fall into bed with him.” She rolled her eyes in exasperation and shot a look over her shoulder to make sure the irritating customer had truly left.

“Does that happen often?” Dani asked, picking up on the way Jamie had said ‘another’.

“More that I’d like,” Jamie responded vaguely with a shrug, “Then again, I wouldn’t like it to happen at all, so even once would be a time too many.”

Dani smiled at the attempt at humor and could sense that Jamie didn’t want to go into it any further. “Well, I’m sorry to bother you…” she was starting to regret her decision to come by to tell Jamie at work. It was clear she was having a bad day and Dani really didn’t want to be the one to make it worse.

“Poppins, you are the exact opposite of a bother,” Jamie reassured her with so much sincerity in her expression, it was almost painful for Dani to look at. “This has by far been the best part of my day…at least so far.”

The nod to their upcoming date caused another wave of dread to wash over Dani, but she knew it would be worse to not say anything now and instead call to cancel once Jamie got home. “About that…” she started and then drew in a breath, “As much as I really don’t want to, I kinda came here to ask if we can reschedule.”

Jamie’s eyebrows drew together in concern, “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah,” Dani said with a nod; she was briefly tempted to come up with a more dire excuse so as to lessen Jamie’s disappointment, but she didn’t want to lie to her. Not when whatever was going on between them seemed to be going so well. “My friend asked me for a favor…seems he kinda fumbled his opportunity to ask someone he likes out on a date and it turned into a group thing. I’m supposed to run interference so he can have some alone time with her and do a better job of asking her out.”

Jamie’s eyebrows raised as she listened to the explanation. It was nearly impossible for Dani to read her reaction; she couldn’t tell if she was puzzling over why exactly Dani had made this her problem, or if she was about to get frustrated that Dani had chosen to help someone else score a date rather than go on her own.

Before she could figure out what the expression meant, she forged ahead, desperate to explain. “I know it sounds stupid, but it’s really important to my friend. He asked for my help and I just felt like I couldn’t say no. I don’t have very many friends here, but more than that, he’s a good guy and deserves to be happy. He deserves to have a date as amazing as the one we had last night. So I was just really hoping we could reschedule. If that’s okay?”

“Of course it’s okay,” Jamie replied, looking confused that Dani would even ask. “You always have a say in whether or not you actually want to go on a date,” she explained in a light, teasing tone. “I’m just glad you said reschedule and not just cancel.”

Dani felt some of her tension start to dissipate at Jamie’s response. She could still see the disappointment in her eyes, but her words and gentle tone seemed to be an attempt to put her at ease. “I really, really want to go on another date with you,” Dani insisted, keeping her volume low in case there were any customers or staff just out of sight. “So yeah, reschedule. Not cancel.”

“Glad to hear it,” Jamie said with a smile. “Two dates in two days was probably pushing my luck a bit anyhow. I’m sure there’s a good reason why people take some time between dates.”

“Not too much time, right?” Dani asked, suddenly nervous that Jamie might take out her frustration by making Dani wait a week or even longer for their next date.

A quiet chuckle escaped Jamie who seemed amused by her question. “Nah, not too much time. Don’t think I could wait that long to see you again.”

Dani smiled at the words and felt her heart swell at how unbelievably kind and understanding Jamie was. “Thank you…and I’m sorry again for asking to reschedule.”

“Don’t worry about it, things come up,” Jamie said with a dismissive shrug. She glanced to the side as a customer wandered into view and instinctively took a step back as she resumed professional mode. “I’ll give you a call about setting something up this weekend, yeah?”

Dani nodded her enthusiastic agreement and received a grin and a wink in response before Jamie turned and wandered off to help the customer.

As Dani exited the store, she finally let the rest of her tension slip away. She’d done it. She had managed to reschedule their date and left without feeling the overwhelming guilt she was used to accompanying such a request. A small smile tugged at her lips as Dani wondered when she was going to stop being surprised by all the ways Jamie was unlike Eddie. As much as she loved Eddie and as much as she… _really_ liked Jamie, they were different in so many ways. And Dani was learning that was a very, very good thing.

* * *

Dani slowly scanned her surroundings, taking in every bit of merriment around her. She wasn’t sure exactly what she expected from Bonfire Night, but this was certainly different from any bonfire party she’d been to back home. Though she supposed she always knew it would be different from the high school parties she’d attended out in the woods, with rowdy teenagers getting drunk on cheap liquor and escaping from the bright glow of the bonfire behind trees to work out their adolescent hormones with a partner of their choice.

But she hadn’t quite expected this. There were a lot more people than she expected, all crowded around in groups and waiting for the fireworks display to start. There was a row of food vendors off to the side of the field and Dani figured that would make a good excuse to duck away from Owen and Hannah for a bit.

After taking the drink orders for the group and recruiting Rebecca to help her carry everything, Dani began wandering in the direction of the food stalls with a proud smirk.

Rebecca seemed to be able to read her expression as she eyed Dani carefully, “What are you up to?”

“Me?” Dani asked, failing to hide the smile that turned into a grin. “Why would you possibly think I’m up to something?”

“Because you look like you just pulled off an elaborate heist…not typically the expression one makes when they’re on an errand to buy their friends a round of drinks.”

Dani laughed and figured she might as well fill Rebecca in on part of her plan while keeping some key details to herself. “I just figured we’re always saying that Owen and Hannah need to get their act together, so we might as well give them some time alone. See what happens.” She didn’t mention that this was, in fact, a failed date attempt made by Owen since she wasn’t sure he wanted Rebecca to know about that.

“Ah, good thinking,” Rebecca said with a nod. “Did you manage to find out anything from Owen about Halloween? I tried to ask Hannah, but she remained stubbornly quiet about it. She just insisted that it was a ‘lovely party and it’s a shame I missed it’.”

Dani chuckled at Rebecca’s impression of Hannah. “We did miss you,” she added to buy time to think of how she’d answer her friend’s question without lying to her. “My conversation with Owen did not exactly go according to plan. I was trying to get information out of him about who he might be interested in…and he wound up thinking I was trying to hit on him.”

“What?” Rebecca exclaimed followed by a shriek of laughter. “He didn’t! What did he say?”

“He very politely turned me down like the true gentleman he is,” Dani explained with a laugh of her own. “And then I managed to avoid a very awkward moment between us by explaining that I was gay so I was definitely not hitting on him.”

Rebecca laughed again as she shook her head, “Well, your conversation with Owen was far more entertaining than my attempt to get information out of Hannah. What I would have given to be a fly on the wall to watch Owen gently let you down before finding out you like women every bit as much as he does.”

“His reaction was pretty great. He was thrown off his pun game for at least two whole minutes, but unfortunately, he bounced back with a truly terrible joke,” Dani recalled with an affectionate grin. Although they all mercilessly teased Owen for his jokes, she knew they would miss them if he ever stopped.

They reached the food stall and Dani placed their drink order before she and Rebecca stepped off to the side to wait. She let her gaze wander over the crowd, enjoying seeing so many people in good spirits spending time with friends and family. Her gaze landed on a very familiar face and she froze, feeling her body tense in surprise even as her heart leapt into action.

Jamie. Jamie was here. She hadn’t expected to see Jamie after cancelling their plans, and yet, here she was with Ian, Alison, and Leo. She was fairly certain Jamie hadn’t seen her as she had yet to make eye contact and was instead absorbed in conversation with her friends. Dani took a moment to admire just how beautiful she looked in the glow of the bonfire with a joyful grin on her face.

A small smile played on Dani’s lips as she simply watched the woman who had already made quite an impact on her life after so little time of knowing her.

“See something you like?” Rebecca asked.

Dani cut her gaze over to her friend, her smile vanishing as her eyes widened in surprise. She hadn’t exactly forgotten Rebecca was there, but seeing Jamie had temporarily caused her to lose full awareness of her surroundings.

“What?” She asked, not fully understanding the question even as she caught a glimpse of Rebecca’s knowing smirk.

“You’re blushing,” Rebecca teased as she nudged Dani with her elbow before casting her gaze out over the crowd. “Come on, tell me. Who caught the eye of the lovely Dani Clayton?”

“No one,” Dani replied automatically. She wasn’t sure if Rebecca would remember seeing Jamie talking to Dani at the pub that night. And she didn’t know if her friend had ever pieced together that Jamie was the student from Goldthorpe that Dani had mentioned that night. But Rebecca was smart, so Dani didn’t want to risk it. “I’m just cold…my face is frozen, I’m not blushing.”

“If you say so,” Rebecca sighed, but didn’t seem entirely convinced.

Fortunately, their drinks arrived and Dani welcomed the distraction of getting their cups to carry back towards their friends. As they approached, Dani could tell Owen and Hannah had been deep in conversation – things seemed to be going well and she didn’t want to ruin things by crashing their quasi-date. After handing one of her cups to Hannah, she subtly slipped one of her gloves deep into her jacket pocket while Rebecca was distracted handing Owen his drink.

“Oh crap,” she announced as she made a show of looking around. “I think I must have left one of my gloves back at the food stall. Or maybe it fell out of my pocket on the way back…Becca, do you mind going back with me to look?”

Rebecca looked slightly annoyed at the thought of walking back, but her patient teacher attitude quickly won out and she masked her mild irritation with a friendly smile. “Of course.”

“I can go with you,” Hannah offered. “If we all spread out, I’m sure we’ll find it in no time.”

“No, no,” Dani said in a rush. “I’m sure we’ll find it if we just retrace our steps. If we all spread out, it’ll just take way longer to find each other again. Honestly, it won’t take long,” Dani insisted as she began to lead Rebecca away with a reassuring smile sent over her shoulder to Hannah.

“Just curious, how does one lose a glove while outside? Shouldn’t it have been on your hand?” Rebecca asked as soon as Dani slowed their pace to a leisurely stroll.

“Well, I think I took it off when I was digging around in my wallet for money to pay for the drinks. I might have left it on the counter or maybe I put it in my pocket, but it’s not there anymore.”

Rebecca let out a small, noncommittal hum, as if she wasn’t quite on board with Dani’s explanation.

Dani was worried that Rebecca had caught on that she was trying to give Owen and Hannah alone time. If pressed, she would probably open up to Rebecca about what Owen had told her, but she didn’t want to betray his confidence without knowing if it was alright if Rebecca knew he was trying to ask Hannah out tonight.

They retraced their steps in silence as they looked at the ground in an attempt to locate Dani’s “lost” glove. However, Dani found herself distracted as they drew nearer to the food stall, and therefore, to Jamie. Her gaze lifted and this time she found Jamie looking at her, an amused smile playing on her lips.

She wasn’t sure how long Jamie had been watching her, but the confused tilt of her head as she held Dani’s gaze indicated that she was questioning why Dani was staring intently at the ground as she walked. She glanced over to see Rebecca a few paces ahead, head down as she searched. Dani raised a finger to her lips as she looked at Jamie as if she was about to reveal a secret only the two of them would be in on. Her hand darted into her pocket and she quickly grabbed the glove and dropped it on the ground.

“Here it is!” She said loud enough to draw Rebecca’s attention over the noise of the crowd, but probably not able to be heard by Jamie who was standing several yards away with her friends. She bent down to retrieve the glove and met Rebecca’s gaze with a triumphant smirk.

“Glad you found it,” Rebecca said with a smile. “I was worried it might be a lost cause given how dark and crowded it is.”

Dani nodded as she used the mention of the crowd to scan her surroundings; her gaze lingered on Jamie who was watching her with her usual smirk. “Yeah, I got lucky,” she admitted before tearing her gaze away to look at Rebecca.

Her friend searched her face for a moment, “This was never about a glove, was it? You just wanted to come back here to check out whoever caught your attention the first time, didn’t you?”

“What? No!” Dani protested as her cheeks flushed, “I told you, I wasn’t looking at anyone!”

“Dani, you may be my first and only lesbian friend, but I know what it looks like when someone spies someone they find attractive. All the telltale signs are there…”

“I honestly don’t know what you’re talking about,” Dani insisted as she began to worry how she would get herself out of this mess.

Fortunately, she didn’t need to come up with an excuse or an explanation, as a loud beeping noise began to sound from the depths of Rebecca’s purse.

“Oh, someone’s fancy,” Dani teased, trying to hide her relief at the distraction as she watched Rebecca try to dig her pager out of her purse.

“Hardly,” Rebecca chuckled, “Peter bought me this to help us keep in touch given the distance.”

Dani nodded and tried to keep her expression neutral rather than frown at the mention of his name.

“You never had one in America?” Rebecca asked, only sparing a brief glance up at Dani before continuing her search. “I thought everyone had one there, even the children.”

Dani huffed out a laugh at the joke. “No. I almost got one. Or rather, someone almost got one for me.” She thought back to how Eddie had practically insisted she get one, even offering to buy it, so they could alert each other if they needed to get in touch. Dani had thought it was a little ridiculous given how frequently they saw each other and how often he already called her to check in about her day. Truthfully, she’d been exhausted by the thought of any more contact with him than she’d already been maintaining.

“But I just didn’t think I needed one. I have a pretty boring life, not that many people who desperately need to get a hold of me,” Dani explained with a playful smile, wanting to sidestep as much discussion about her past as possible.

Rebecca hardly seemed to be listening anyway as she finally located her pager and glanced at the message. “It’s Peter,” she explained, and Dani didn’t even bother to feign surprise or interest at the announcement. “He wants to know how things are going.”

“Huh,” Dani said with a nod, not sure how else to respond. She wasn’t about to lie and say she found it sweet or considerate. Surely, he could have waited for Rebecca to give him a call when she got home if he was that intrigued by the events of the evening.

“I should probably go find a phone,” Rebecca said as she began glancing around for a payphone.

“Oh, really?” Dani asked, surprised that Rebecca was going to take the time for something that seemed like it could wait.

“Is that okay?” Rebecca asked as she brought her gaze back to look at Dani. “I don’t mean to leave you. I’m sure Owen and Hannah are still where we left them. Or you can always go and talk to whoever you weren’t checking out. I won’t be gone long…maybe ten minutes or so just to check in so he doesn’t get too worried.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Dani said as she waved a dismissive hand and plastered on a smile that she hoped didn’t look too fake. “You do what you need to do.”

“Thank you, I’ll be back soon,” Rebecca promised and then she was off weaving through the groups of people in search of a payphone.

Dani sighed as she watched her go. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Peter’s behavior wasn’t that of someone who was overly concerned about her safety, and more of someone who was irritated by his lack of ability to observe who she was around and control how she spent her time given their distance.

She turned her attention towards the bonfire. As she did, her gaze landed on Jamie and her friends. A smile tugged at her lips as she watched the brunette laughing along with something her friends had said. Sweet, patient, caring Jamie who would never act the way Peter did. She couldn’t even picture Jamie trying to keep a strict eye on her whereabouts, demanding to know where she was at all times and who she was with.

She wasn’t sure if her intense staring was what drew Jamie’s attention, or perhaps Jamie was just glancing her way regardless, but their eyes met and a slow smile pulled at Jamie’s lips when she realized Dani was watching her. There was a long moment where they simply held each other’s gaze before Jamie drew her eyebrows together in concern as she glanced around where Dani was standing.

It didn’t take long for Dani to piece together that Jamie’s sudden confusion was over Rebecca’s disappearance. She gave a small shrug and playfully rolled her eyes, hoping that conveyed that she was a little annoyed, but not actually upset.

Jamie turned back towards her friends and Dani was briefly disappointed that she’d already lost her attention. However, only a moment later Jamie was heading in her direction.

“Couldn’t help but notice you’ve been left all alone,” Jamie commented as she approached Dani.

“Yeah, Rebecca had to go call her boyfriend,” Dani explained as she tried to hide just how excited she was that Jamie had left her friends to keep her company.

“The tall bloke who looks like he kicks puppies for fun?” Jamie questioned.

“Yeah, that one,” Dani said with a nod, recalling the way Jamie had agreed with her assessment at the pub that Peter looked every bit like the jerk he was.

Jamie nodded, “I hope you don’t mind me coming over here. Seemed wrong for someone so beautiful to be standing by herself.”

“I’ve already agreed to a second date, you don’t have to butter me up,” Dani teased. She kept her voice low and quickly glanced around to make sure Owen and Hannah were still out of sight and that she didn’t recognize anyone else – teacher or student – from school.

“Do you want to take a walk?” Jamie asked as she picked up on Dani’s nervous glance around. “Maybe chat for a moment away from prying eyes?” As she said that, she looked back towards her own friends who were sneaking glances in their direction with excited grins. Dani could only imagine the questions they’d had for Jamie after Halloween night. She wondered if Jamie had told them about their first date…or about making out against the wall after the date.

“Yeah, that sounds good,” she agreed, suddenly feeling a bit too exposed standing out in the open with Jamie.

Dani followed Jamie’s lead until they were safely hidden in the sea of parked cars, taking cover behind a particularly large truck.

“I’m sorry again that I had to reschedule,” she apologized as she moved closer to Jamie now that they were safely out of view of the crowd gathered by the bonfire.

“It’s okay, I get that things come up,” Jamie replied as she reached forward to wrap her arms around Dani’s waist and pull her closer. “Though I must admit I’m happy I ran into you. Made my night a thousand times better.”

Dani grinned as she allowed herself to be pulled flush against Jamie’s body. “Is that why you changed your plans and decided to come here instead of the bonfire at a castle that you claimed you were gonna take me to tonight? Just hoping you’d run into me?”

Jamie chuckled as she nuzzled into Dani’s neck, “I only promised a castle when it was gonna be a date. No reason to go all that way when I’m just hanging out with my mates. They’re not worth the added effort,” Jamie explained as she started kissing along Dani’s neck. “And no, I wasn’t trying to stalk you, if that’s what you’re asking. This is the best local spot for fireworks.”

“Yeah, that’s what I’ve been told,” Dani agreed as she recalled Owen mentioning that on the drive over. Truthfully, she was only half paying attention to the words coming out of her mouth as she was much more interested in the way Jamie was kissing her neck. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Because you like seeing me or because you like what I’m doing to you right now?” Jamie teased before trailing her kisses to the other side of Dani’s neck.

“Both,” Dani admitted as she wrapped her arms around Jamie’s neck to keep her close. The heat quickly spreading throughout her body served as a very effective way to keep her warm despite the chill in the air. She also found that it made her feel a little more bold than usual. “I had a dream about you last night.”

“What kind of dream?” Jamie asked as she leaned back to look at Dani’s face.

Dani was disappointed that Jamie was no longer kissing her; however, she very much enjoyed the hopeful and intrigued look on her face. Since Jamie had been working her up ever since they first found a moment of privacy, she decided it was time to turn the tables. “Let’s just say it was the type of dream that left me feeling restless and very unsatisfied when I woke up.”

“Oh yeah?” Jamie asked, her eyebrows raising as she tightened her grip on Dani’s waist.

Dani nodded, emboldened by the lustful expression on Jamie’s face. She loved the effect she was having on her and wanted to go even further, but found herself nervous to continue the flirtatious banter while Jamie was staring at her with so much hunger in her eyes. She leaned in so her body was flush with Jamie’s and her lips positioned by her ear.

“My dream got me so worked up, I had to take care of myself. I couldn’t help but think about you and wish that you were the one touching me.”

Jamie let out a sound of pure want as her hands gripped Dani’s jacket, keeping her close. “What exactly were you thinking about, love?”

Dani grinned and felt a shiver run up her spine at the low tone of Jamie’s voice. She could tell her plan to work Jamie up just as much as the brunette had worked her up was going splendidly. “I was thinking about the way you kissed me after our first date,” she admitted as she raised a hand to Jamie’s hair, playing with her brown curls. “And then I pictured you taking me against the wall; I imagined your fingers inside me.”

“Dani,” Jamie moaned as she pulled back to look at her, her green eyes nearly black with lust. There was only a moment’s pause before she leaned in and captured Dani’s lips in a bruising kiss.

Dani eagerly returned the kiss as she pressed herself closer to Jamie. She hadn’t been sure exactly what affect her words were going to have on Jamie, but found she certainly didn’t mind this outcome.

“God, I want you,” Jamie groaned as she briefly broke away before kissing Dani hard again. “I want to do all the things you pictured while you were touching yourself this morning.”

Now it was Dani’s turn to let out a moan as she felt a rush of heat shoot straight to her core. She wanted it too; was finally ready for it. But not here; not like this.

“Did you figure out when you want to reschedule that date?” Dani asked. She knew the whispered question sounded desperate, but she didn’t care in the slightest as Jamie began placing a series of quick kisses along her jawline.

“Saturday?” Jamie asked as she pulled back to look at Dani. “I work in the morning but I have the afternoon off. And the store’s closed on Sundays.”

“Why would it matter that the store is closed on Sundays?” Dani asked, her tone teasing as a coy smile appeared on her face.

Jamie smirked as she immediately saw through the teasing question. “I could always stick around and lend a helping hand in case you have any more of those dreams on Saturday night.”

Dani let out a moan as she pressed closer to Jamie. If she was being honest, she could definitely use a helping hand right at that very moment.

The sound of a loud boom startled both women as they quickly pulled apart and looked for the source of the noise. It was an easily solved mystery though as the sky lit up with bright lights.

“Guess the fireworks portion of the evening has started,” Jamie observed, sounding more than a little upset about the distraction.

Dani ran a hand through her hair and nodded, “Yeah. I should, um, probably get back to my friends.”

Jamie glanced over and gave a nod of her own, “I’ll see you Saturday then?”

Dani couldn’t resist the urge to lean in for a final kiss, “Saturday,” she promised against Jamie’s lips. “I can’t wait,” she said as she began walking back towards the crowd.

She could feel Jamie’s eyes on her and while part of her wanted to go back and just continue making out until the fireworks ended and people started to leave, the other part of her knew they were asking for trouble by getting intimate with so many people around. People who might recognize her as a teacher at Goldthorpe Academy and Jamie as a recent student. Not to mention, she felt like she was only moments away from suggesting they partake in activities that were definitely frowned upon in such a public setting.

Waiting was good; it was right, she reassured herself as she made her way back towards her friends. Two days, she told herself; two days and she’d be on another date with Jamie. Two days and it might be Jamie relieving the ache between her thighs that seemed to constantly be building when she was in the other woman’s presence. A bashful, yet excited smile crossed her face at the thought. She could wait two days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized while I was editing that there was a nice halfway point and I could have easily posted the first half and saved the second for another chapter. But you all have been so patient for this update, so I wanted to include the bonfire night and not just cut things off after Dani asked to reschedule the date. That would have been such a sad way to end the chapter lol
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has left kudos and comments and everyone who has made their way over to my tumblr page to say hi or send lovely messages! You're all fantastic and I wish you a very happy and lovely New Year!


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now - the second date!
> 
> If you enjoy long sections of text with sad backstory, this chapter is for you. If not...I don't know what to tell you. Maybe you'll enjoy the next chapter more?
> 
> Also, shout-out to ninjaatheart for helping me reword one of my favorite bits of dialogue in this chapter to make it a wee bit lighter for those who may not share a dark sense of humor.

“You okay?”

Dani glanced up from where she was focused on the hand resting on her thigh and looked over to see Jamie shooting her a concerned look.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied with a smile.

Jamie gave a nod but her expression didn’t seem entirely convinced as she returned her attention to the road. She gave Dani’s thigh a gentle squeeze and Dani felt her heart flutter at the gesture.

“I’m fine,” she repeated, not wanting Jamie to think anything was wrong. “I’m just really looking forward to this afternoon.”

It was an honest answer – an understatement even. Dani had been eagerly waiting for Saturday ever since they’d agreed on the day to reschedule. She was also nervous, perhaps more nervous than their first date, but this time she didn’t have any concerns about the actual date. She was sure whatever Jamie had planned would go well.

Dani found herself nervous for what would come _after_ the date. However, compared to previous times when she knew she wasn’t ready, this time she was sure that she was ready. Only now she was starting to worry that she wouldn’t live up to Jamie’s expectations. She knew that Jamie had experience with women and she’d been waiting to take things further with Dani for a long time. She hoped that Jamie wouldn’t be disappointed with the real thing after all the times she had fantasized about it.

Dani reached over to cover the hand on her thigh, smiling when Jamie immediately turned her palm so they could entwine their fingers. She focused on the feel of Jamie’s hand in her own to distract from her thoughts. She knew she was ready. Her flat was clean, there were fresh sheets on the bed, she’d put three times as much effort into grooming herself than usual, and she was wearing a matching lingerie set that she was fairly certain Jamie would appreciate.

She was as ready as she could be – now she just had to get through the date. She looked over at Jamie, who was focused on the road as her thumb stroked absently over Dani’s hand. A small smile formed on her face; she was in no rush to get through this afternoon.

Twenty minutes later, they had long since abandoned the car and were well into a walk through the woods. Dani wasn’t entirely sure what the plan for the day was and was starting to regret not asking sooner. She’d been babbling for most of the walk, jumping from topic to topic to keep her nerves at bay. Jamie seemed content to listen as she kept hold of Dani’s hand and led her further into the woods.

“Where are we going?” Dani asked as she scanned the unfamiliar surroundings. She eyed the bag that was clasped in Jamie’s other hand and wondered what it contained. “Are you taking me out here to kill me?”

Jamie smirked as she glanced behind her at Dani’s confused, yet playful smile. “Keep talking, I just might.”

Dani laughed as she felt Jamie give her hand a quick squeeze. “Just keep in mind, if you kill me, you won’t ever get past second base.”

“That’s not necessarily true,” Jamie countered, before quickly adding, “Not that I’d ever do that.”

“Oh wow, didn’t expect _that_ topic to come up before at least the fourth date,” Dani teased, her smile widening at Jamie’s laugh. “And they say romance is dead. I guess with you, it really is.”

“Oi, careful with the jokes. You’ve been spending too much time around Owen, haven’t you?” Jamie said as she shot a playful glare at Dani.

The reminder that Jamie knew Owen from school sent an unpleasant shiver through Dani. If things kept going well with Jamie, she wanted to do normal coupley things with her – like introduce Jamie to her friends. However, she knew that would be complicated by the fact that Hannah and Owen were familiar with Jamie as a student and she had a feeling they wouldn’t be thrilled to find out that she and Dani were dating.

They fell into a comfortable silence until they emerged from the tree line and wandered into a large clearing with a placid pond. Dani couldn’t help the gasp that escaped her at how scenic and secluded the location was.

“I figured this might be a good place for a picnic,” Jamie explained as she held up the bag in her hand and glanced over at Dani to monitor her reaction.

The idea that Jamie was even a little bit nervous about how she would react would have made Dani laugh in disbelief if she wasn’t still swooning. “I take back my joke about romance…you really know what you’re doing, don’t you?”

A pleased smile quirked up the corners of Jamie’s mouth as she shrugged, “I thought you might like it.”

“It’s perfect,” Dani exhaled as she admired their surroundings again. The tranquil pond and the green field that stretched out across the other side, illuminated by the afternoon sun was made all the more peaceful by the fact they were the only two people here. “How did you find this place?”

“I probably shouldn’t tell you this…” Jamie began as she pulled a blanket from her bag and shook it out.

Dani eyed Jamie curiously as she grabbed the other side of the blanket to help Jamie spread it on the ground. She wasn’t sure where Jamie was going with her explanation, but steeled herself for the possibility it involved one of the women she’d previously been intimate with.

“I may have _occasionally_ cut class and left school grounds, back in the day. Preferred walking out in nature to wandering around town – less of a chance of getting caught.” Jamie explained as she set her bag down on the edge of the blanket, “Found this place a couple years back. Not many people seem to know it’s here given that it’s off the beaten path.”

Relief washed over Dani as she realized this wasn’t a place that Jamie had discovered with another woman. “And why shouldn’t you tell me that?” She wondered out loud as she took a seat on the blanket, watching as Jamie followed her lead and sat beside her.

Jamie shrugged as she reached into the bag to start pulling out the makings of a picnic. “Figured something like that doesn’t really impress a teacher such as yourself.”

A light laugh escaped Dani as she watched Jamie trying to uncork the bottle of wine she’d brought. “What? Worried I’m gonna punish you?” If she’d been less distracted by watching Jamie’s deft fingers operating the wine opener, she might have paid more attention to the words before they left her mouth. They didn’t truly register until Jamie’s head shot up, her eyes wide and containing more than a hint of desire.

Dani flashed back to several weeks earlier when Jamie had cheekily asked if Dani was going to punish her for using bad language. It felt like a lifetime ago given how much their relationship had since developed. Back then, the flirtatious comment had seemed entirely inappropriate and Dani had called her out for it. But now, Dani was the one making the provocative comment, unintentional as it might have been.

Jamie was the first to recover as she dropped her gaze back to the wine bottle with a low chuckle, “Can’t say ‘worried’ is the word that comes to mind at the thought of you punishing me.”

Dani felt the heat rush to her face, although she knew she should have been prepared because she’d really set herself up for a comment like that. She quietly accepted the disposable cup filled with wine that Jamie handed her as she tried to recover from her moment of embarrassment that was laced with arousal.

“You really have a thing for being punished, don’t you?” She asked, putting on a bold front to mask how much the thought made her blush.

A coy smile spread across Jamie’s face as she took a sip from her own cup. “Seems like it…didn’t realize it ‘til I met you. Guess the teacher thing really works for me.”

Dani knew there was no point trying to hide how flustered she was as her flushed cheeks couldn’t be explained by the weather given that it was an unseasonably mild and pleasant fall day. She took a long sip of wine, not sure how to respond without giving away her nerves.

An amused laugh left Jamie’s lips, “Don’t act so surprised, Poppins. You know I find the teacher thing hot. It’s definitely not the only thing I like about you, but do I like it? Absolutely. You gonna tell me you never got even a little bit worked up about me being a student? What with the uniform and all?”

“No!” Dani resolutely protested. “I mean, I may have gotten…worked up because of you. But not because you were a student. It had nothing to do with you being a student. In fact, it was in _spite_ of that. It was just because you were you!”

“You saying you like me, Poppins?” Jamie asked with an affectionate smile.

Dani felt the tension leave her body as Jamie dropped the teasing and she returned her smile, “I believe I told you that during our first date.”

“I know, I just like hearing it,” Jamie admitted as she shifted her position so she could lean in and press a warm, tender kiss to Dani’s lips.

To Dani’s relief, she had a reprieve from the teasing while they shifted their attention to the food Jamie had picked up from the store for their late-lunch picnic. Conversation flowed easily and Dani was very much enjoying their laid-back picnic date. However, she couldn’t help but pick up on the times Jamie gently skirted around questions or stories – always doing it so quickly or with a well-placed joke, that anyone else wouldn’t notice that she seemed to be avoiding something. Dani, however, was becoming familiar with Jamie’s little tells and could detect through a brief flash of pain in her eyes or a nervous twitch of her hand when there was something she wasn’t saying.

It wasn’t hard for Dani to piece together that these moments seemed to happen when Jamie was sharing stories about her brother and father or when she made a quick reference to a childhood event. Dani knew that Jamie didn’t have an easy childhood, but she knew very little about it. She found she wanted to know more about Jamie; she wanted to know everything about Jamie.

Dani waited until after they finished their lunch; the trash and leftovers tucked back in the bag and tossed off to the side to grab on their way out. Jamie was positioned closer than she’d been during the meal, stretched out lazily on her side, propped up on one arm as her body was facing Dani, but her gaze was fixed on the pond. She looked so content that Dani was hesitant to ruin the moment by asking about what was clearly a sensitive topic, but she couldn’t keep her curiosity at bay any longer.

“Jamie,” she said softly, waiting until the brunette glanced over at her with a soft smile, “I was just wondering, and you don’t have to tell me, but I was just curious about your family. I get the feeling it’s not exactly something you enjoy talking about. But I’d like to hear more about it. At least sometime, if you don’t want to talk about it today.”

Jamie’s smile faded as Dani talked, but she didn’t seem upset. She looked pensive for a long moment as her eyes searched Dani’s face. Eventually, she must have found whatever reassurance she had been searching for in Dani’s earnest and cautiously hopeful expression as she sat up. She crossed her legs and rested her elbows on her thighs, her cup held between her hands.

Dani shifted her position as well; she sat up and turned to face Jamie as she began to talk. She eagerly soaked up the background details; her parents names, Dennis and Louise. Their brief period of young love before a baby, Jamie’s older brother Denny, came along to launch them both into adulthood when they’d only barely left adolescence.

She listened, riveted, as Jamie described her mother’s proclivity for sneaking off with other men to try to reclaim her days of innocent, carefree youth while her father escaped underground to the mines; working hard to provide for the family he hadn’t planned to have at his age.

Dani tried to hide her shock when she found out Mikey was Jamie’s half-brother, his father one of Louise’s unknown afternoon conquests. One of several men who dropped by the house while Denny and Jamie were at school and Dennis was working another long day hundreds of feet below ground in the dark, oppressive, bleakness of the mines. She listened as Jamie explained that her dad accepted Mikey as his own despite knowing he wasn’t the father. Her nails bit into her palm as she tried to keep in her frustrated outburst as Jamie described how the town made fun of her dad behind his back for his wife sleeping around and him not doing anything about it.

Dani felt her heart ache in her chest as Jamie opened up about the town calling her mum a whore and the kids at school, including her own brother, calling her one as well. The teacher in her wanted to press for details – get names and contact information for every kid who had ever called Jamie a nasty name so she could tell them exactly what she thought of them and their despicable behavior. She pushed aside her anger so she could focus on Jamie, who was still unfurling her painful family history for Dani.

“Then Louise leaves. Had enough of the town gossip, I guess. Or just had enough of us. Can’t say for sure ‘cause she didn’t leave a note. Just left a baby and two other children behind with a dad who preferred staying in cold, dark mines to avoid being pitied and mocked by the neighbors. Can’t really blame him. But that didn’t leave much help for looking after Mikey. I was eight, nearly nine when Mum left. Denny was eleven, but he was hardly ever home. Too ashamed to associate himself with the rest of the Taylor family.”

Jamie paused as she took a quick sip of wine to buy herself a moment to get her emotions back in check. “I did my best to look after Mikey, but I was just a kid. I stayed out of school for nearly a month just to look after him – didn’t know what else to do. Couldn’t leave him home alone all day and we didn’t have the money to pay someone to watch him. Not that I would have known who to call even if we did. I’m sure the school must have tried to call about my shite attendance, but there was no one but me and Mikey home most of the day, so they gave up at some point.”

Dani was nearly overwhelmed by the urge to reach out for Jamie, but she could tell she wasn’t finished. She had a resolute edge to her expression, as if she was determined to get it all out for Dani to hear.

“Then one day, there’s an accident. I was distracted trying to keep Mikey from hurting himself while he was crawling around the kitchen and forgot to watch over a pot of water on the stove…long story short, that’s the type of hospital visit that gets social services involved. They almost…” Jamie paused and swallowed. “We almost got split up. Put in foster care. But the system was already overwhelmed with too many kids and too few families wanting to look after them. So they switched the focus to keeping us in the home. Dad had to attend some parenting classes. His sister, my aunt Mary, offered to watch Mikey at her house during the day along with her three kids. It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it satisfied social services enough to get them off our back.”

Jamie finished the contents of her cup and set it off to the side of the blanket, her gaze still focused down, only casting the occasional glance over to Dani. “I went back to school. Funny enough, kids still called me a whore. Still picked on me every chance they got as if I did something to deserve it. So I start standing up for myself. Not like my older brother was gonna be of any help. Leo and Ian would have had my back, but they went to the Catholic school. Denny and I went there for a couple years back when Louise was still around, but she didn’t much care for the way the nuns looked at her given her reputation around town so she pulled us out and put us in one of the secular schools.”

Dani nodded as she finally realized why Jamie didn’t go to the Catholic school like Leo, Ian, and Alison. She found herself wishing Jamie hadn’t been separated from her friends during a time in her life when she clearly needed them.

“Anyway, I stand up for myself at school but the teachers don’t seem to care for that. That’s when they decide to hold me back, keep me from moving on to secondary school. No one ever said a word to the little fuckers calling me names day in and day out, making fun of my clothes, my hair, my family, really anything they could think of.”

Dani felt the anger bubble up inside her again and had to remind herself that it had been nearly ten years; she couldn’t reasonably track down the people who had tormented Jamie and make them apologize. All she could do was be here for Jamie now.

“I’d deal with that at school all day and come home and take care of Mikey. Didn’t really do homework because I didn’t have time. Teachers thought I was lazy, but I managed to do alright on tests and assignments so they couldn’t completely fail me. I fucking hated every single day. I love Mikey, but I was so exhausted. I was too young to deal with all that.”

Jamie paused and let out a quiet, hollow chuckle. “There were times I used to hope that social services would get called again. That they’d come back and we’d go into foster care. I imagined that a nice couple would want to adopt me and take me to a big, clean house with toys and I wouldn’t have to do anything other than be a kid. I didn’t have to look after Mikey, or deal with kids at school calling me names.” Her half-amused, half-wistful smile faded. “Then I met some kids who were in the system, learned what it’s really like. Mean, impatient couples who are just in it for the money, aren’t interested at all in the kids. Except for some of the men who are a bit too interested, which is even worse. But after I found that out, suddenly my own home life didn’t seem so bad. Denny’s still a completely useless fucker, but my dad cares about us in his own way, even if he’s not around a lot. And Mikey…well, Mikey turned out pretty alright, didn’t he?”

A small smile formed on Dani’s lips as she finally gave in to the urge to reach over and take Jamie’s hand in her own, “He turned out more than alright, thanks to you. He’s so lucky to have you.” She watched as Jamie shook her head and seemed ready to protest, but she didn’t give her the opportunity as she squeezed her hand to cut her off. “I mean it, Jamie. You sacrificed so much to look after him. You’ve had to deal with way more than anyone should have to at your age. And despite how bad things were, you still looked after your brother and I can tell how much you still take on so that he can just be a happy, carefree kid.”

Jamie swallowed roughly as she stared at the blanket. Dani could see the tears pooled in her eyes though she was sure Jamie wouldn’t want her to see them.

“It’s not a big deal,” she said with a dismissive shrug, “He’s a good kid. Someone in this family deserves to have a life that’s not complete and utter shite.”

“It is a big deal,” Dani insisted as she moved closer to Jamie. “And you deserve all the happiness and good things from here on out. I know no one can change your past, but you deserve to have the most amazing future.”

Jamie smiled as she used their still clasped hands to tug Dani closer. “Believe me, Poppins. Ever since you came into my life, my days have been filled with more happiness and good things than I’ve ever experienced before. Feels a little too good to be true, if I’m honest.”

Dani rested her forehead against Jamie’s and affectionately nuzzled closer, her nose brushing softly against Jamie’s. “Not too good to be true,” she insisted. “You deserve everything, Jamie. Someone better than me even. But if I’m what makes you happy…then I’m all yours.”

Jamie pulled back as her eyes intently searched Dani’s face. For a moment, Dani was worried she’d said the wrong thing, but that concern evaporated the moment Jamie leaned in and crashed their lips together in a desperate and eager kiss.

Dani quickly matched the rhythm of the frantic kiss as she shifted to a more comfortable position straddling Jamie’s legs. The brunette’s soft moan as she grabbed Dani’s hips to pull her more firmly onto her lap was all the answer Dani needed to know she approved of the change in position. Not that she’d thought there would be any complaint.

“How are you even real?” Jamie asked as she broke the kiss and immediately began placing hot kisses along Dani’s jawline.

The whispered comment made Dani grin and she slipped her hands into Jamie’s hair to keep her close. “I don’t know, but I promise you I am. You can even pinch me to make sure.”

Jamie chuckled, a low, throaty sound, as she nipped at a sensitive spot just under Dani’s ear. “I believe I’m supposed to pinch _myself_ to make sure I’m not dreaming…not pinch you.”

“Oh,” Dani whispered, too distracted by Jamie’s lips on her neck to be too embarrassed about her slip up. “Right I knew that.”

“I’d be happy to pinch you if you’re into that sort of thing,” Jamie continued as her lips worked their way to the other side of Dani’s neck. “I’m always willing to pinch you, bite you, scratch you…if you want me to, that is.”

Dani tightened her hold on brown curls as her thighs clenched around Jamie’s legs. She hadn’t realized that Jamie even just mentioning those things could turn her on so much.

“Jamie,” she whimpered as she leaned her head back to give the other woman better access to the sensitive skin of her neck. “God, I want you to do everything to me.” She knew that comment was a little broad, there were likely quite a few things she’d draw the line at if explicitly asked. However, she had a feeling the things currently running through Jamie’s mind she’d be more than okay with.

Her eagerly murmured comment caused Jamie to grip her hips more firmly, pulling her harder into her lap. “Christ, Poppins,” she exhaled against Dani’s neck, “Just give me the word and I’ll give you everything you want right now, yeah?”

The thought of getting some relief for her rapidly building arousal was tempting. Just envisioning it made the ache between her thighs that much worse. She glanced around at their secluded surroundings, it certainly felt private enough, but at the same time…“We’re in public.”

“Never seen anyone else out here,” Jamie replied dismissively her hands stroking over Dani’s thighs. “And I can do things to you with minimal disruption of clothing.”

Dani let out a laugh at Jamie’s impatience; however, she couldn’t blame her given that she was seriously considering the offer. Eventually she pulled back to put a bit of distance between them. “Let’s go back to my place. I want us to be able to take our time together. And I really want to get to see all of you.” She tugged gently on the front of Jamie’s jacket to indicate the barriers between them that she wanted gone when they finally took things to the next level.

A flicker of disappointment flashed across Jamie’s face when Dani first started talking, but by the end of her suggestion, Jamie was giving her a look of pure want. “Guess we should be heading back then.”

Dani nodded with an excited grin before they both scrambled to pack up the remnants of their picnic including the bag of trash they’d discarded to the side. They collected everything in less than a minute and then Dani was grabbing Jamie by the hand and dragging her back through the woods toward the car.

After their fourth stumble and second barely-avoided-fall due to their frantic pace, they finally slowed down before one of them could sustain an injury that would definitely put a damper on the afternoon. The excitement was still nearly palpable as their hands remained clasped and they exchanged frequent joyful smiles.

Since they had quite a bit of a walk ahead of them, Jamie finally broke the silence. “Now you know my grim story, but I don’t know much about yours. You told me about the boyfriend, or ex-fiancé, I suppose. But that’s about it.”

Dani nodded and felt her lust cool a bit at the mention of her life back in America. But she figured it would be a good distraction to help them keep from going at it when they reached the car since she was still set on doing things properly in a more private location for their first time.

“Yeah, um, as far as family goes, it was just my parents and me. I’m an only child. My mom and dad were high school sweethearts. My mom, Karen, was on student council and my dad, Robert, was on the football team. They were one of those couples everyone wanted to get married because they were both popular and good-looking. So they did. My mom was supposed to go to college in Indiana, but she stayed when my dad proposed. He went to the local college while she planned the wedding while also trying to find a job so they could start saving up for a house. After the wedding, they moved in with his parents while my dad finished college and then got a 9-5 office job. They bought a house, my mom got pregnant, and she quit her job to look after me. They followed all the steps in the ‘how to be an ideal suburban Iowa family’ manual.”

“Is that a real thing?” Jamie interjected with an expression reflecting her curiosity.

“Yes, do you want a copy?” Dani teased as she glanced over with a playful smirk.

“Don’t give me that look. You Americans have all sorts of weird things; forgive me for thinking that was one of them.”

Dani laughed before jumping back into her story, appreciating the brief moment of levity before what came next. “They followed all the _unofficial_ steps,” she clarified, “But they were one of those couples who just really shouldn’t have been parents, you know? They would have been better off pursuing their own dreams without having to fulfill society’s expectations of a happy family. My mom resented my dad because she felt like he kept her from going to college and getting a chance to pursue her own passions, whatever those may have been. And my dad resented my mom for resenting him…said she should have turned down the proposal and left if she was going to nag him about it for the rest of her life.”

She paused as she considered her last statement. “At least, that’s what I’m told he said. He died when I was eight.”

“Dani, I’m so sorry,” Jamie said as she looked over with wide, sad eyes. “I had no idea. I didn’t mean to – we don’t have to keep talking about this if it’s too difficult.”

Dani offered her a soft smile as she squeezed her hand. “It’s okay, I don’t mind sharing. We might as well get all the messy family histories out now.”

Jamie nodded in agreement and brought their clasped hands up to place a quick kiss to the back of Dani’s hand. The blonde smiled and continued her story, “I remember my dad in a vague sense – memories, mostly good, that have stuck around. I remember that he could be silly and make me laugh and he’d be the one to go outside and play in the yard with me while my mom watched from the porch, or more likely, while she was inside doing her own thing. But I remember he was busy a lot too. Too busy to play or watch TV. Honestly, in hindsight, I don’t even think he was working, I think he was just hiding away in his office to get time away from me and my mom. And my mom was there, but she wasn’t really _there_. She’d put the TV on the shows she wanted to watch, or she’d call her friends, basically anything other than actually interacting with her child. And after my dad passed, it was like she resented him even more because then all of the responsibility fell on her. There are times I honestly wonder if she was just jealous that he was the one who found a way out.”

“Jesus, Dani. That’s horrible,” Jamie murmured as she ran her thumb over Dani’s knuckles. “Was it like that the whole time?”

“Pretty much,” Dani admitted with a nod. “She only got worse over the years as she started drinking more and more to cope. My high school years were a crash course in how to take care of a semi-functional alcoholic. I learned what to say to defuse a situation rather than escalate it. Learned how to keep rooms clear of furniture and items that might cause her to trip and injure herself as she stumbled through the house at night. And I learned what albums really drown out the sound of yelling; whether it was her arguing with someone over the phone because they offended her, or if she was drunkenly cursing me out for some perceived slight I had apparently made.”

Dani paused as she considered how to continue her story. She hadn’t meant to get into her mother’s drinking; it was something she often kept from other people unless they were going to be unlucky enough to spend significant time around Karen Clayton, at which point, she felt a need to at least warn them. But Jamie…there was something about her that made Dani just want to open up and share every part of herself, even the not so good parts of her past.

“I spent a lot of time at Edmund’s house growing up,” she explained as she cautiously switched the topic to her ex. Typically a bad idea on a second date, but she felt it was an important part of her past. “Compared to my mom, who was not cut out for parenting, Eddie’s mom, Judy…she’s one of those women who embraced motherhood and seemed to get so much joy out of it. She loves Eddie and his brothers so much. At times, I was almost envious that they got to grow up in a household filled with so much love and kindness. But Judy made me feel so welcome that I couldn’t really hold on to that envy for long. I would just go there whenever things got overwhelming, or just any time I felt like it really. And Judy always made an effort to be really nice to my mom and put up with her even when she was tipsy and rude in the middle of the day. So, my mom liked her and didn’t mind, or just didn’t notice, that Judy stepped in and became more of a mother to me than she ever was.”

A humorless chuckle escaped Dani as she reflected back on her childhood. “Actually, it wasn’t until I started spending all my time at either school or the O’Mara’s house that my mom seemed to actually like me. When she only saw me briefly in the morning or at night, she could pretend to be a good mom. She’d ask about my day and try to live vicariously through my success in school, like when I got all A’s my junior year, or when I made varsity for both cheerleading and soccer my senior year. It was like the more attention I started getting around town, the more she wanted to actually be a mom. As long as it didn’t involve too much of her time. But I appreciated the effort, I suppose. After so long of feeling like an inconvenience, it was nice to feel like she was actually interested in me. It was like she discovered I had a purpose because I could give her status around town – people in the store would stop her and tell her what a lovely daughter she had raised, and she would gladly accept their praise as if she was responsible for everything I achieved.”

“That’s bullshit,” Jamie interjected with a scowl and a shake of her head. “From what you’ve told me, it’s a bloody miracle you’ve turned out as sane and well-adjusted and damn near perfect as you have. All of that in spite of her, not thanks to her.”

Dani laughed and gave her hand a grateful squeeze. “Well thank you, can’t say I disagree with that – except the near perfect part, I’m far from perfect. But yeah, I didn’t exactly love her basking in the praise from people in town about what a good job she did raising me ‘as a single parent too’.” Dani rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. “Part of me wonders if I would have stayed with Eddie as long as I did if not for his family. I mean, he was my best friend, but if I hadn’t spent so much time there, if I hadn’t looked up to Judy as a second mom…I don’t know, maybe I would have been a little more aware of the fact that what I felt towards him was not romantic love. I loved and cared for him like a friend, but it wasn’t more than that. And on some level, I always knew that. I knew it wasn’t normal to dread intimacy that much. I knew that envisioning a future with him shouldn’t have made me feel panicked and anxious. But I was so afraid of losing him and his family and ending up without anyone who really cared for me.”

“When was the last time you heard from either of them?” Jamie asked cautiously, as if aware the answer might cause Dani pain.

“I haven’t heard from Judy since I left Iowa…I wrote her a letter in addition to the ones I left for my mom and Eddie. But she’s never reached out.” Dani paused to take a breath to stave off the wave of sadness brought on by the admission. “And Eddie…well, I already told you about the not-so-great phone call I had with him where I came out and he didn’t react too well to the news. I still haven’t heard from him since then.”

Jamie nodded slowly, as if she’d been expecting the answer, but wasn’t pleased to hear it. “Do you ever want to reach out to them?”

Dani considered that a moment and then nodded, “Yeah, I do. But I’d only really want to do that if they’re willing to accept who I am and build, or rather rebuild, a relationship from there. I don’t want to put myself through the pain of having them try to convince me to get back with Eddie or making bullshit comments about my ‘choice’ to be a lesbian or anything like that. But assuming they would one day be able to accept that I’m gay and I’m not interested in anything more than friendship with Eddie…then yeah, I’d like to have them in my life again. I just don’t know if they feel the same.”

“Well, they’d be stupid to not want you in their lives,” Jamie said as she looked over at Dani with a soft smile. “It’s a rare and incredible opportunity that not many people in the world will ever get. They shouldn’t take it lightly.”

Dani couldn’t keep herself from grinning as she came to a stop and leaned in to give Jamie a slow, lingering kiss to express her gratitude. “Thank you,” she murmured against her lips. With the truck just coming into view up ahead, Dani found herself with a renewed motivation to get to it. She took Jamie’s hand as they continued on the path. “How is it that I can dig up all those awful memories of my childhood and with just a few words you can have me smiling like an idiot and feeling happier than I have in a long time?”

“Dunno, maybe you can explain how I can get through a monologue of all the horrible crap I’ve been through and within a matter of seconds, you have me wanting to tear your clothes off and take you on a picnic blanket in full view of any lonely hunter or ill-timed hiker who might be passing by.”

“You said no one comes through here!” Dani protested with a startled gasp as she glanced over at Jamie.

“I said I’ve never _seen_ anyone come through here,” Jamie corrected. “I’ve only been here a handful of times, I don’t know who else might know about this place.”

“And to think I almost let you talk me into having sex on that blanket,” Dani said with a playfully disappointed shake of her head.

“If I recall correctly, it didn’t seem like I had to do much convincing…if this wasn’t our first time together and we didn’t much care about making it special, I think we’d still be back there and I’d have two fingers deep inside you right about now.”

Dani gasped and involuntarily tightened her grip on Jamie’s hand as the words painted a graphic visual in her mind. Part of her regretted making the decision to go somewhere else, but given that they were now very close to the car, she couldn’t regret it that much. It would only be a matter of minutes before they were back at her flat.

“Too much?” Jamie questioned as she tried to read Dani’s expression.

Dani shook her head. She was still surprised by how easily Jamie could work her up with just a few words. She wanted to have the same effect on her; and even though she knew it was something that would develop over time as she got more comfortable with her sexuality, she still wanted to try. Her arousal was quickly building and if she had to impatiently sit through a car ride while getting increasingly turned on, she wanted Jamie in the same state.

“Not too much,” she explained, “I just really can’t wait to feel you inside me.”

That seemed to work judging from the throaty groan that escaped from Jamie. “Fuck, Poppins,” she finally said with a low chuckle, “You keep talking like that, we’re not gonna make it back to your flat.”

Dani bit her lip as another jolt of arousal shot through her at the thought of Jamie becoming so overwhelmed by lust, she had to have Dani right there in the front seat of the truck. She gently shook her head to clear the thoughts, which were only serving to persuade her that it didn’t seem like such a bad idea at all.

“I’ll be good,” she promised as she looked over at Jamie with a smile, “At least until we get back to my place.”

“Okay, comments like that really aren’t helping,” Jamie pointed out, but her smile was teasing – if not also barely masking her obvious lust.

She knew she should probably take it easy on Jamie and hold back any more blatant flirting until they got back to her flat. However, the temptation to keep pushing Jamie to see how worked up she could get her proved to be too strong and overpowered her inclination to be nice.

A smirk quirked up the corner of Dani’s lips as she glanced over at Jamie, “Maybe I’m just trying to get you to hurry up so you’ll take me home and have your way with me.” And then she was running back to the car, her delighted laughter echoing through the trees along with the rapid footsteps eagerly chasing her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've now passed 100,000 words which is ridiculous!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who is continuing to read this story, whether or not you leave kudos or comments, thank you for reading! And to all of you who do leave comments/feedback here or on tumblr, thank you. Your kind words make me so happy and keep me eagerly writing more of this story. I still have several more chapters planned and no definitive end yet so I hope you're all still enjoying it!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow 20 chapters, huh?
> 
> To celebrate this milestone, here's 5300 words of smut. Please heed the rating change.
> 
> Also - I really debated whether or not to update tonight due to everything going on in the US right now. But I decided that some people (myself included) really need to lean heavily on distraction as a coping tactic sometimes, so I wanted to go ahead and post. But yeah...scary/weird/upsetting times here in the US on top of everything else going on worldwide. Sending hugs to everyone. Now go enjoy some smut (or save for a time when you can).

Dani barely had time to close the front door before Jamie’s mouth was on hers, her hands immediately grasping Dani’s hips to pull her close. She eagerly returned the kiss as her hands slid up Jamie’s arms, her grip tightening over her biceps.

Before Jamie had a chance to deepen the kiss, Dani pulled back. She chuckled at the way Jamie’s lips began to chase hers. “Bedroom,” she whispered, dropping a quick peck on the waiting lips before she removed herself from Jamie’s embrace and led her in the direction of her room. Shoes and jackets were hurriedly removed and haphazardly discarded along the way.

As soon as Dani stepped into her small bedroom with the neatly made bed and fresh sheets, it hit her that this was actually about to happen. She was about to have sex with Jamie for the very first time. Instead of the nerves that had previously accompanied that thought, this time Dani only felt excitement and a strong, overwhelming need for the woman trailing behind her.

She flipped the light switch before turning around to pull Jamie closer, her mouth finding Jamie’s once more as she released an eager moan. Jamie let out her own small gasp of desire at the sound of Dani’s moan and started guiding her back towards the bed.

The back of Dani’s knees collided with the side of the mattress and she dropped down heavily on the soft duvet before she could catch herself. She was sure it didn’t look graceful in the least, but she didn’t care. She wanted Jamie, _needed_ Jamie. From her new seated position, she was at the perfect height to reach out and tug Jamie closer by the belt loops of her jeans.

A strangled gasp of surprise escaped Jamie as Dani popped the button and began sliding the zipper down. Before she could remove her jeans, however, soft hands quickly covered her own, prompting Dani to look up with confusion and a hint of irritation at the interruption.

“I really like where your mind’s at, but I was just wondering if you wanted to slow down a bit. Y’know, take our time and make it romantic and all that.”

“Oh,” Dani said as she caught on to why Jamie had stopped her. She tried to process the question; it was certainly a sweet idea and she very much liked the thought of taking her time with Jamie. She liked the whole general concept of candles and music and romance. But with how she was feeling at the current moment, she wasn’t sure she had the patience to deal with any of that.

“Um, another time, maybe?” She asked, making sure that Jamie was okay with it as she gave a little tug at Jamie’s belt loops to indicate she wanted her pants off _now_.

Jamie chuckled and appeared to be relieved by Dani’s response. “Another time,” she agreed as she leaned in to reconnect their lips.

Dani slid Jamie’s jeans down her legs as she slipped her tongue into Jamie’s mouth. Their frantic kissing was only interrupted when Jamie began to tug her shirt up. Dani leaned away and allowed the garment to be pulled over her head and tossed aside.

“Christ, you’re gorgeous,” Jamie murmured as her eyes dragged over Dani’s torso; her gaze particularly drawn to the light blue bra trimmed with lace. Dani grinned in anticipation of seeing Jamie’s upcoming realization that the bra was, in fact, part of a matching lingerie set Dani had specifically picked out for this occasion.

“Nothing you haven’t seen before,” Dani pointed out as she thought back to the way Jamie had her hands all over her bra-clad breasts during their heated make out session after their first date.

“Doesn’t mean I like it any less,” Jamie shot back. “In fact, I’m fairly certain I could see this every day for the rest of my life and enjoy it just as much every damn time.”

Dani grinned and grabbed the hem of Jamie’s shirt, pulling it over her head in a move that caused Jamie to have to duck down to allow Dani to remove it from her seated position.

“Didn’t think you’d be the one to have me outta my clothes first,” Jamie teased, though her lust-filled gaze indicated she had no complaints about Dani’s impatience.

Dani was only half-listening to the comment as her eyes swept over Jamie’s body, eagerly drinking in her toned form now only covered by a black bra and panties. She wondered if Jamie had put just as much thought into picking out her underwear for today’s date as she did.

“Jamie,” the name escaped her with a content sigh. It seemed entirely unfair that Jamie was just standing there looking like that and still not touching her. “God, you’re so hot.”

Jamie’s grin lit up the room before she let out a low chuckle. “Glad you think so,” she replied as she leaned in and brushed her lips against Dani’s. “Because I think you’re hot too. Now let’s get you out of the rest of these clothes so I can properly see that amazing body of yours.”

Dani smiled against Jamie’s lips and continued to return the quick, eager kisses as Jamie’s hands worked to undo her pants. “In England, fit means hot,” she whispered as she proudly showed off the slang she’d picked up from Alison the week before.

Jamie chuckled as she finished unzipping her jeans and grabbed the sides, pulling away so she could slide the material down Dani’s legs until they were carelessly dropped to the floor. “It does, and you, Poppins, are definitely fit.”

Dani felt a shiver run up her spine at the way Jamie’s gaze traveled over her body. She felt exposed under the hungry gaze, but found that it only served to boost her level of arousal, which she didn’t think was possible given how turned on she already was.

She reached for one of Jamie’s hands and urged her closer, trying to get Jamie to join her on the bed as she laid back on the duvet.

Jamie let Dani pull her closer but stopped short of crawling on the bed to join her. “Think we should lay on the bed properly?” Jamie asked with a playful smirk.

Dani glanced over to assess her position; she was currently stretched across the foot of the bed, parallel to the pillows piled at the top of the bed. With a frustrated groan she shifted her position until she was laying back against the pillows. “Happy?”

“Very,” Jamie replied, her growl indicating she was happier about much more than just the change in positions. In a flash, she joined Dani on the bed, hovering over her as she ducked down to kiss her.

Dani sighed into the kiss as her hands came up to drift across the bare skin of Jamie’s back, disrupted only by the straps of her bra. She flattened her hands against her back and pressed her closer. Jamie took the hint and rested more of her weight on Dani as she kissed her with a passion that matched the intensity of the feelings swirling around inside of Dani.

She could feel Jamie’s fingers gently stroking up and down her side and the sensation, though pleasurable, was becoming more than a little frustrating. She was growing increasingly impatient to feel Jamie’s hands elsewhere on her body and there were still too many layers between them for Dani’s liking.

While Jamie seemed content to just trail her fingers along her side and drive her mad, Dani decided to do something about her frustration. She slid her hand slowly up Jamie’s back until she hit the clasp of her bra. Only a moment later, she was trying to tug the straps of the now-unclasped bra down Jamie’s arms.

Jamie pulled away and sat back on her heels, a smirk on her face as she tossed her bra off the side of the bed. “Getting impatient, Poppins?” She teased as her hands caressed over the flat plane of Dani’s stomach.

“No,” Dani shot back defensively. However, her actions betrayed her words as her eyes locked on Jamie’s breasts while she reached her hands behind her own back to unclasp her bra, quickly yanking it off to join Jamie’s on the floor.

Jamie chuckled at the rushed movement. “You sure about that?” She asked as her gaze drifted over Dani’s exposed chest.

“Are you complaining?” Dani challenged in what she hoped was a sensual tone. She was a little incredulous that Jamie could even tease and laugh at a time like this when the only thing Dani could focus on was seeing and feeling more of Jamie.

Jamie shook her head, her smirk fading back to a look of pure arousal as her hands slid up to cup Dani’s breasts. “Absolutely nothing to complain about,” she murmured as her hands gently squeezed.

Dani let out a moan and arched further into Jamie’s touch. She knew she was entirely too eager, but she couldn’t find it in her to care at the current moment. Not when Jamie finally had her hands on her and was starting to tease her nipples with feather-light touches.

“Jamie,” she whispered, her eyes containing a desperate plea. There would be plenty of time some other night for slow teasing to build each other up, but tonight was not that time. As much as she wanted Jamie to take care of her, she was only moments away from just slipping a hand into her own panties to get some relief. After all, she’d recently discovered she was pretty good at it. Though she was sure Jamie was better – and the thought caused her to bite her lip to hold back an impatient whimper.

Jamie glanced up and held her gaze. She seemed to detect the silent message of desperation that Dani was trying to convey and shifted her position so she was kneeling to the side of Dani. Her head ducked down and her mouth closed over a nipple while her hands moved down to start sliding her panties down her legs.

Dani drew her knees to her chest to help with the removal process so Jamie didn’t have to move her talented mouth and tongue from her breast. She was starting to feel a little delirious with lust and raised a hand to tangle in brown curls in an attempt to help ground her to something. Jamie caught her nipple between her teeth and gave a little tug, sending a very pleasurable jolt through Dani that helped ground her even more than her firm grip on Jamie’s hair.

As soon as her panties were off, she dropped her legs back to the bed, immediately letting them fall open once more. Jamie didn’t hesitate to settle back between her legs as she moved her mouth to Dani’s other breast.

Dani’s gaze was fixed on Jamie, watching the way her tongue and teeth explored the new territory before teasing her already achingly hard nipple. Her thoughts were jumbled with the emotions and want and need that steadily coursed through her. The only thing she could focus on was that she wanted more of this; more of Jamie.

One of Jamie’s hands began to trail slowly down her side, over her hip, and then towards her center. However, before the cautiously exploring hand could grant her any form of relief, it stopped and Jamie glanced up at her.

“Are you sure about this? We don’t have to go any further if you’re not ready.”

“Jamie!” Dani cried in disbelief, dragging the name out in a whine. Although part of her found it incredibly sweet that Jamie wanted to check in again, she was practically shaking with the need to be touched. She was certain she had never been as worked up in her life and she was also certain she wasn’t going to last long – that was _if_ Jamie ever touched her.

Fortunately, that seemed to both amuse Jamie and convince her that Dani was positive she wanted things to continue. She shifted further up her body to kiss her while her hand finally made its way between her legs.

Dani immediately let out a gasp and her hips jumped at the touch. Even though she’d been expecting it, been craving it, the sensation of Jamie’s hand between her legs sent a shockwave through her body.

Jamie let out a content hum as her fingers idly stroked through the wetness pooled between her thighs. “This all for me, love?” She murmured against Dani’s lips.

Dani could feel Jamie smirking, but she didn’t mind. Jamie deserved to feel smug for working her up to this point. “Y-yeah,” she breathed out as she tightened her hold on Jamie’s hair to pull her in for a kiss.

Jamie returned the kiss, her smugness continuing to radiate off her in waves as she dragged her fingers up to start circling her clit.

Dani let out a soft gasp and eagerly lifted her hips to encourage Jamie to add more pressure. Her tongue slid into Jamie’s mouth in an effort to pull the other woman’s attention away from the slow, taunting pace she had set. She hoped that if she distracted Jamie just a bit, the hand working her clit would be a little less gentle and carefully measured.

Her plan seemed to work as Jamie shifted a bit while losing herself in the passionate kiss. Her lazy circles over Dani’s swollen bundle of nerves became a little sloppier, a little harder, a little faster.

Dani continued kissing Jamie, the hand behind her head keeping her close. Her hips began to circle along with the pace of Jamie’s hand. She could tell she was already ridiculously close and she might be a bit embarrassed about that after the fact, but all she could focus on was finally relieving the tension that had been building for far too long.

Little sounds of pleasure were escaping her with every circle of Jamie’s fingers and perhaps that was what tipped Jamie off to her imminent climax because her fingers quickly stilled before moving away. Dani pulled back from the kiss with a grunt of displeasure. She knew she was pouting but she didn’t care; she couldn’t fathom why Jamie was cruel enough to stop.

“Patience, Poppins,” Jamie whispered as she brushed her lips over Dani’s. She snared her pouted bottom lip between her teeth and tugged as she slid a finger slowly inside her.

A moan was ripped from Dani’s throat at the combination of pleasurable sensations and the hand that wasn’t tangled in Jamie’s hair flew up to grab at her back.

“Okay?” Jamie questioned after she released her lip.

Dani frantically nodded to encourage Jamie to continue. The single finger moving inside her felt good, but it also wasn’t enough; especially not after how close she’d just been. “Can you…another one, please?” Dani asked shyly, not quite sure how to tell Jamie that she needed more.

Jamie smirked before complying with the timid request and entering her with two fingers.

Dani dug her nails into Jamie’s back and gave an enthusiastic nod. “Yeah,” she murmured as her hips bucked towards the thrusting fingers. “That’s…that’s good.”

A soft chuckle escaped Jamie as she began to leave a trail of kisses and nips along her jawline until she reached her ear. “You can always tell me what you want,” she whispered before using her teeth to tug at her earlobe. “In fact, I encourage it. Find it rather hot when you tell me what you need from me.”

Dani could hardly focus on the words with all the very pleasurable things Jamie was doing to her. However, she caught on that Jamie was encouraging her to tell her what she wanted. A thought crossed her mind and she gently tugged Jamie’s head back by her hair. She waited until she saw her smug face again before deciding that two could tease if Jamie got so much amusement out of it.

“In that case, I need you to make me come,” she said with a smirk. Although her frustration over Jamie stopping before when she’d been so close had since faded to a mild irritation, she couldn’t resist the urge to tease her about it.

However, her playful comment seemed to have quite a different effect on Jamie, whose eyes darkened before she roughly captured Dani’s lips with her own.

Dani’s surprised gasp at the reaction quickly turned into a low moan as Jamie quickened the pace of her thrusting fingers. With the way the fingers inside her were thrusting and curling and driving her wild, she knew it really wouldn’t be long until she came.

Dani began to move her hips to match the pace Jamie had set; her clit occasionally came into contact with the palm of Jamie’s hand and it felt incredible but it wasn’t enough. She could tell she was close, just on the edge…but it just wasn’t _enough_.

Breathlessly, she pulled away from the kiss. “I’m close,” she mumbled against Jamie’s lips, “Just need…a bit more.”

Jamie nodded and pecked her lips before she shifted her position to better support herself on her knees; her head fell to Dani’s collarbone as her free hand moved down to rub over her clit.

Dani’s jaw dropped and her back arched at the added stimulation. “Oh my god…yeah, that’s…just like that,” she encouraged, her breath coming out in eager pants.

It wasn’t much longer before she reached her peak and cried out Jamie’s name as her hips lifted into the other woman’s touch. Jamie continued the movements of both hands, gradually lessening the pressure until Dani reached down to still her hands altogether.

Jamie moved to lay down beside her and tenderly guided a still-panting Dani into her arms. “Was that alright?”

Dani huffed out a breathless laugh at the understatement of the year. “Amazing,” she replied, finding an answer longer than one word to be more than she was capable of providing at the moment. Although her face was pressed against Jamie’s chest, she didn’t have to look at her to know she was smirking. And she deserved to be proud of herself, so Dani couldn’t fault her for it.

One of Jamie’s hands stroked soothingly over her back while she caught her breath. Dani took a moment to reflect on just how incredible her first time with a woman had been. She didn’t even know sex could be like that. She hadn’t thought it possible to get so worked up for another person and yet she’d become nearly blinded by lust in her desperation for Jamie to put her hands on her; to grant her relief from the aching desire building within her.

And Jamie…well, Jamie had clearly known just how to touch her and just what to do to bring Dani the greatest amount of pleasure she’d ever experienced`. She supposed she wasn’t exactly surprised by that, but she was in awe. Especially because she knew that it would likely only get better with time as Jamie learned her body; as she learned all the secret spots and little pleasure triggers that even Dani wasn’t fully aware of.

As her breathing began to steady, Dani pulled back to look into Jamie’s eyes. There was a warmth there; a look of pure happiness. But there was also more than a fair bit of arousal and Dani knew that for as much pleasure as she’d just experienced, Jamie hadn’t had any relief yet. She wanted to fix that.

She leaned in to exchange slow, sweet kisses with Jamie as they lay facing one another on their sides. Her hands itched to explore and she slowly trailed her fingers up Jamie’s stomach to palm her breasts. The gasp her actions elicited was a delightful reward and she smiled against Jamie’s lips as she gave an experimental squeeze of the soft flesh.

Jamie deepened the kiss, sliding her tongue into Dani’s mouth and Dani took that as a sign that Jamie very much enjoyed what her hands were doing. She shifted her attention to the nipples that were starting to harden under her palms and tugged at them with firm enough pressure to cause Jamie to sigh into the kiss.

Dani continued to tease until Jamie was shifting on the bed, thighs pressing together in search of some small fraction of relief. Dani noticed the movement, pulled back to watch, and then decided to do something about it.

She sat up on her knees and encouraged Jamie to roll onto her back before she took hold of both sides of her panties and began to work them down her thighs.

Jamie allowed her to remove her panties and toss them aside, but then put a hand on her wrist to encourage her to lean over her, her hands automatically coming up to bracket Jamie’s shoulders as she held herself above her.

“It’s your first time, there’s no pressure to return the favor,” Jamie said as she tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear.

“Okay,” Dani murmured, finding the offer very sweet and considerate. However, she didn’t want to wait for another time. She was worried she might not be very good, but she was eager to at least try. She smirked before she leaned back and knelt between Jamie’s bent legs. Her gaze was fixed on the apex of Jamie’s thighs, transfixed by the glistening evidence of her arousal, as she gently scratched her nails up and down along Jamie’s inner thighs

Dani started to reach a hand forward, but paused as a thought occurred to her. “Is it okay if I touch you?” She realized that even though Jamie had more experience, she shouldn’t mistake that to mean she wanted Dani to touch her. And especially after her last comment, she wanted to be sure it was okay.

“Yes, god, Dani, yes,” Jamie exclaimed with a nod, her frustration with how close Dani’s hand was to her center, only just out of reach, evident in her desperate gaze. Jamie swallowed and appeared to try to get her arousal under control, “If you’re sure you’re okay with it, then yes, absolutely.”

Dani grinned and let her hand continue to move forward until her fingers were stroking through wet folds. Jamie let out a low groan and buried a hand in her curls. Dani figured that with how worked up Jamie was, her slow and teasing exploration was just as frustrating as it had been when Jamie was the one doing it.

Although she was tempted to get a little pay back and take her time, she knew Jamie had been incredibly patient with her for a long time. It was only right that Dani didn’t keep her waiting any longer.

Her fingers set a slow pace but with firm pressure over Jamie’s clit, mimicking the motions Jamie had done to her. The pressure seemed to please Jamie who let out a sound of contentment and dropped her hand from her hair to land heavily on the bed.

She considered shifting her position so she could kiss Jamie while her fingers worked her clit, but she knew that it would ultimately prove distracting. She was still getting used to the feeling of touching another woman and she wanted to be able to watch Jamie for cues on what she liked or didn’t like. Jamie didn’t seem to have any complaints as her hand fisted in the bed sheet and she watched Dani with lust burning in her eyes.

Her fingers began to circle a bit faster, a bit harder. She wondered if Jamie would take long to come from this and then paused to consider if Jamie even wanted to come like this. She was new to sex with a woman, but she at least had a general understanding of the different ways it could be done. And she had no idea what Jamie liked.

“Do you want me…inside?” She asked, not knowing the best way to phrase what she was asking. Jamie seemed to pick up on the meaning though as her hips bucked up against Dani’s hand.

“If you want to…don’t have to,” Jamie murmured and it was clear from her expression she was still trying to be considerate of it being Dani’s first time despite her own building climax.

“Jamie,” Dani gently admonished, “I want to know what _you_ want. I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t okay with it.”

Jamie took a moment to process before she nodded, “Then, yeah. Go for it, love. I want to feel your fingers in me.”

Dani felt a rush of arousal shoot to her core and she wondered if that was how Jamie felt when she told her she needed her to make her come. She figured the answer was yes judging from the lustful expressions it had evoked at the time. “Okay,” she replied as she dragged her fingers down and slid two slowly inside.

Jamie’s eyes rolled back as her back arched, pressing her head and hips further into the bed. Dani felt a momentary stab of guilt because she realized she should have probably started with one finger like Jamie had; however, Jamie certainly didn’t seem to mind and with how aroused she was, her body eagerly welcomed the two fingers sliding deep inside.

She marveled at how warm and wet and fantastic Jamie felt around her fingers as she slowly began to pump them in and out. Jamie’s back returned to the mattress and her eyes met Dani’s, a look of both awe and desire reflected in them.

She picked up the pace of her fingers and grinned at the sound it drew from Jamie. She looked down to watch her fingers disappearing inside of Jamie and reappearing coated in her arousal. She idly thought that this was a sight she could get used to – a sight that she _wanted_ to get used to.

Dani felt her smile widen as she realized all of her worries leading up to this moment had been a wasted effort. She was enjoying it far more than she ever imagined she could and was perhaps even alright at the ‘giving’ side of things if Jamie’s reactions were anything to go by. Her nerves were all but completely replaced by curiosity and a type of insatiable hunger. She wanted to do this with Jamie again; wanted to keep doing it, in fact. She wanted to learn everything Jamie had to teach her and then learn new things together.

As she continued to watch her hand working inside Jamie, her gaze drifted up to the swollen clit that seemed to be straining for attention. Dani knew she could use her other hand the way Jamie had, but she wasn’t sure she trusted herself to coordinate different patterns of movement with two hands given how new she was to this. But another idea drifted into her mind and she looked up to Jamie so she could gauge whether it was something she would be okay with.

“Is it okay if I…use my mouth. On you?”

Jamie’s eyes widened as she drew in a sharp breath. “You don’t have to do that,” she choked out, appearing to battle herself just to get the words out. “I didn’t…on you.”

“Does that matter?” Dani asked with a furrow in her brow. She wasn’t sure if she was breeching some type of lesbian etiquette by wanting to try something before Jamie had a chance to do it to her.

“No,” Jamie admitted as she ran a hand through her hair, “Just didn’t want you to feel like you had to.”

Dani smiled as she caught on to why Jamie had given something other than just an immediate ‘yes’ to the offer. “I want to,” she promised as she held Jamie’s gaze so she could see the sincerity in her statement. “Is that okay?”

Jamie’s concern seemed to melt away as she gave a quick nod, “Fuck, yes, it’s okay.”

Dani grinned and then leaned forward. The first brush of her tongue was tentative, unsure. But the next few were more eager as she took a moment to appreciate the taste of Jamie on her tongue. She focused her attention on Jamie’s clit, knowing that’s where she was needed most.

A soft moan drew her attention and she looked up while trying to keep both her fingers and her tongue moving. The view she was met with was incredible. A flushed Jamie with both hands gripping the sheets as she watched Dani with an ardent intensity.

Dani took her expression to mean she was doing something right, so she continued what she was doing. Her hand was starting to cramp a little, but she ignored it as she moved her tongue eagerly over Jamie’s clit.

Jamie’s hips bucked up and she let out a desperate whine. Dani could tell she was close so she kept going until Jamie’s head snapped back as she let out a loud moan, her thighs clenching around Dani’s head.

Dani didn’t mind – in fact, she found the reaction incredibly hot and she enthusiastically continued to work Jamie through her orgasm.

Eventually, the thighs fell away from her head and an exhausted Jamie reached down to grab hold of her wrist to pull her up.

Dani snuggled into Jamie’s waiting arms; head pressed against her chest. She placed a kiss to her collarbone while Jamie drew in deep, ragged breaths.

“How did I do for my first time?” She asked, finding that her desire for honest feedback outweighed any nerves she had about asking.

“My reaction didn’t tip you off?” Jamie asked with an incredulous laugh. She pulled Dani up so her head was resting on the pillow next to her. “You use your fingers and tongue on me like that and you’re asking how you did?” She shook her head in disbelief when she realized Dani was still waiting for an actual answer and smiled as she leaned into kiss her, not seeming to mind that her arousal still coated her mouth and chin.

“You were fucking fantastic, Dani,” Jamie murmured, the awe in her voice evident. “I mean, I always thought you’d be good, but I had no idea you’d be so…eager.”

“Is eager a good thing?” Dani asked as she reached up to stroke Jamie’s hair back. She figured it probably wasn’t a bad thing, but she also didn’t know if maybe there was something to be said for being less eager and letting things happen slowly.

“It’s a very good thing,” Jamie informed her as she leaned in for another kiss. “How are you feeling?” She asked softly as she wrapped an arm around Dani’s waist.

Dani couldn’t help the grin that lit up her face and knew that was probably all the answer Jamie needed. “I feel great…I really liked that.”

“Which part?” Jamie teased with a wink.

“All of it,” Dani answered honestly; as much fun as it had been having Jamie bring her to climax, it had been just as fun watching her fall apart from her touch.

“You certainly seem full of energy. I take it I didn’t tire you out then?” Jamie asked with a smirk as she stroked over Dani’s hip.

Dani shook her head slowly, not sure if she should be more tired than she was. She didn’t want Jamie to be disappointed that she wasn’t more exhausted; after all, Jamie had given her one hell of an orgasm…but her fatigue had quickly lifted and her arousal had built back up while she was taking care of Jamie.

Fortunately, Jamie didn’t seem at all disappointed as she used her hold on Dani’s hip to pull her closer. “How would you feel about going again, then?” She asked with a roguish smirk as her hand shifted to slide between Dani’s legs, “Hmm, you certainly _feel_ ready for another round.”

Dani quickly nodded as she leaned in and crashed her lips against Jamie’s. She hadn’t realized another round was even on the table. But she was certainly willing to take as many rounds as Jamie had to offer – or as many as she could take until she passed out from sheer, blissful exhaustion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know many of you have been waiting a long time for this and I hope it lived up to your expectations! If not...sorry I guess? lol
> 
> Thank you to everyone who read, left kudos, and/or commented on the last chapter! And thank you to everyone who sent asks/messages on tumblr. Honestly, all of it makes me so, so happy. You all are lovely and amazing, each and every one of you.


	21. Chapter 21

The next morning, Dani awoke with a sense of peace and contentment that assured her everything in her world was _right_ even before her mind had a chance to fully regain consciousness. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and smiled softly at the sight of the woman beside her. Jamie was still there. Her back was to Dani, but the soft, slow, and subtle movement of her torso with each breath indicated she was in a deep sleep.

Dani’s eyes traveled over what she could see above the cover of the blanket draped over Jamie’s hips, which wasn’t much except for her back and messy brown curls, but it was still perfect. Her gaze rested on the scar on her shoulder and she thought back to when she’d first discovered it the night before, sometime between their second and third round.

For all the times she’d grabbed and clawed at Jamie’s back, it had been the first time her hand brushed against that particular spot. Her fingers had drifted over it curiously, feeling the texture that differed from the smooth skin surrounding it. Once Jamie had picked up on what she was doing, she instantly tensed before muttering a joke or two about the ‘damn boiling pot’ and tried to distract Dani’s attention from it.

Dani had caught on to the underlying embarrassment and realized Jamie thought she would find the scar unattractive. Instead of letting Jamie redirect her attention elsewhere, Dani shifted so she was lying behind Jamie, not entirely unlike how she was laying now, and had placed soft, tender kisses over the scarred skin while holding Jamie close. She had felt how the tension eventually melted from Jamie’s rigid posture, her faltering breaths turning into soft sighs.

That was the first time they’d tried the slow and gentle approach to sex. With Dani whispering compliments into Jamie’s ear – calling her beautiful, incredible, perfect – while her hand worked between her legs.

Dani’s sleepy smile widened at the memory and she leaned closer to place a soft kiss over the scar, careful not to wake Jamie, before getting out of bed. She pulled an oversized t-shirt from her drawer and slipped it on before creeping quietly out of the room and heading for the kitchen. Once there, she put the kettle on the stove before looking around in the fridge and cabinets to evaluate breakfast options.

As she began pulling out the ingredients to make biscuits, Dani reflected on how she never once made breakfast after a night with Edmund. Back then, it had been a point of pride, an unspoken vow not to do something so domestic and give him yet another reason to comment about marriage or how she’d make a great wife.

Although other women might love those playful, affectionate comments from their boyfriends, they’d always made Dani’s stomach knot with apprehension. So, breakfast after spending the night with Eddie had been a trip out to the local diner or him making breakfast for her. He had the good sense to never ask her to make it for him and she hadn’t offered.

But after all the work Jamie had put in last night – all the things she’d done to make Dani feel levels of pleasure she hadn’t known possible…well, that woman had certainly earned a good breakfast.

She’d made the coffee and was just finishing cutting the biscuit dough when Jamie finally emerged from the bedroom. Dani was delighted to see that Jamie was also just wearing her shirt from the day before; she would have been disappointed if she’d gotten fully dressed and covered up her amazing body.

“As much as I would have liked waking up next to you, I have to admit…this is not a bad sight to see first thing in the morning,” Jamie commented with a smile as she made her way into the kitchen.

“Sorry,” Dani apologized as she realized it might have been a bit startling to wake up in a strange bed alone. “I was pretty hungry and thought you might be too,” she shot Jamie a playful smirk, “So, I wanted to make you breakfast.”

Jamie grinned as she walked up behind Dani and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Well, I’m definitely not gonna complain about that.” She rested her chin on Dani’s shoulder, “And what exactly are you making?”

“Biscuits,” Dani announced proudly as she finished cutting the final one and placed it on the baking sheet with the others.

“No offense, but those don’t look like biscuits. Also, not typically a breakfast food,” Jamie pointed out with a teasing edge to her voice as she brought a hand up to sweep Dani’s hair to her other shoulder.

“ _Real_ biscuits,” Dani corrected even though she knew Jamie was just messing with her. “It’s my grandma’s recipe and she was from Georgia so she knew how to make biscuits. I think you’ll like them.”

“I’m sure I will,” Jamie murmured, though her attention seemed to be focused on other things as she began kissing the exposed skin of Dani’s neck. “Though I doubt they taste as good as you.”

Dani leaned back into her embrace, her eyes fluttering shut at the sensation of soft lips traveling over her neck. She couldn’t stop herself from thinking back to how enthusiastically Jamie had demonstrated her skills with her tongue and mouth during their second round. Dani had certainly picked up plenty of tips…ones she wouldn’t mind practicing some more. However, her stomach twinged somewhat painfully to remind her that she really needed to eat before she engaged in any more of the previous day’s activities.

She grabbed the baking sheet and shifted out of Jamie’s hold so she could slip the tray into the oven. “I made coffee too,” she announced as she nodded over to the mugs on the counter.

“Someone’s feeling very American this morning,” Jamie joked as she reached over for one of the mugs. “Coffee and weird fluffy biscuits.”

“You didn’t seem to like how I was making tea the last time,” Dani pointed out as she set the timer on the oven.

“What you were doing to that tea was a crime,” Jamie said as she brought the mug to her lips.

Dani turned when she heard spluttering and a cough, “Are you okay?” She asked as she glanced down at the mug clenched in Jamie’s hand. “Oh no, did it get cold already? I only made it a few minutes ago.”

“It’s fine,” Jamie insisted as she set the mug on the counter before swiftly stepping forward and taking Dani in her arms. A smirk spread across her face as she ran her hands over Dani’s back. “How long until those biscuits of yours are done?”

“Twelve minutes,” Dani answered as she dropped her gaze to Jamie’s lips. They were still swollen from the day before, and she knew hers weren’t any better, but somehow that just made Dani want to kiss her even more.

“Hmm twelve minutes,” Jamie murmured as she slid her hands down to stroke over Dani’s thighs, her hands brushing along the hem of the shirt she was wearing. “Should be plenty of time, yeah?”

“Plenty of time for what?” Dani asked, feigning ignorance even as a coy smile crossed her face and she let Jamie walk her back towards the counter.

“For me to have something I really want to eat,” Jamie teased with a wink before lifting Dani up on the counter.

The all-too-familiar rush of arousal shot straight to Dani’s core and she found she had absolutely no problem with what Jamie was suggesting. “You don’t have work today, right?” She asked, getting a smile and shake of her head from Jamie, whose hands were already working her t-shirt up higher. “And you don’t have anywhere to be later?”

“No,” Jamie confirmed as she leaned in to brush her lips over Dani’s. “Why do you ask?”

“Just want to make sure I’ll have time to return the favor after breakfast,” Dani explained as she nipped at Jamie’s lower lip.

Jamie smirked as her hands trailed along Dani’s thighs, pushing them further apart. “We have all the time in the world,” Jamie confirmed as she pecked Dani’s lips before she shifted her position so she could duck between her thighs, “I’ll gladly stay and do this all day if you let me.”

Dani gasped and tightly gripped the edge of the counter as she felt Jamie’s tongue slowly work its way up to her clit. She closed her eyes and dropped her head back; she _definitely_ planned on letting Jamie staying all day.

* * *

On Monday morning, Dani arrived at school feeling sore and a bit worn out, but thoroughly satisfied and with a wide smile that reflected just how happy she truly was. Her good mood was further boosted when Owen caught her before her first class to tell her about his Saturday night date with Hannah.

She listened eagerly as he rattled on about the five course meal he’d prepared of all Hannah’s favorite foods, followed by a long walk around town, and the proper goodnight kiss on her doorstep to end the night – a much better first kiss than the accidental one they’d shared on Halloween, according to Owen.

Dani was thrilled for her friends and was glad they’d not only had their first date, but that it had gone so well. She could see the happiness radiating off of Owen through his brilliant smile as he shared the events of the evening and she was sure she would see a similar bright smile on Hannah’s face during the dinner break.

As happy as Dani was for them, her good mood was tinged with a bit of sadness. A hint of envy even. She’d had two absolutely wonderful dates with a woman she was quickly developing serious feelings for and she couldn’t share it with her friends. She wished she could sit them down and recount every detail of her night – sparing them the intimate details, but she knew that wasn’t an option.

Even if she tried to keep her mystery date anonymous, they would be curious and press for information until they found out. And she could only imagine the reactions the news would elicit. They would be surprised; perhaps curious about how she and Jamie had met. There would be questions, many questions, disguised as polite interest as they asked how old Jamie was as they tried to deduce the age difference. Then a curious – ‘is she still completing her final year of sixth form?’ Or if they already knew the answer to that – ‘why was it that she dropped out? Such a shame to put in that work and not take her A level exams’.

Dani could try to explain. She could do her best to convince them of what Jamie had eventually convinced her – that she never cared about sixth form. She’d only enrolled to keep an eye on Mikey but with no intent of ever going to university. It was a bit of a wasted effort to even take the courses. But Dani knew how it would sound to her friends. It would seem like any other defensive excuse to take the blame off her; to convince them that she hadn’t persuaded Jamie to drop out so they could pursue a romantic relationship.

Dani knew that as much as she wanted to share every little detail of her dates with her friends, she just couldn’t. And she tried to make peace with that. She managed to convince herself it was a good thing, because it would encourage her to take things slow with Jamie rather than rushing in too quickly. In fact, she needed something to give her slight pause about their relationship because every time she was around Jamie, she never wanted their time together to end…and that was dangerous territory because it hadn’t even been a week since their first date.

What they had was new and it was good – very good. Dani wanted to keep it that way as long as possible. Keeping it between the two of them, at least for now, seemed to be a great way to prevent outside forces from coming in and disturbing what they had.

So, Dani could cope with not telling her friends. Because she knew and Jamie knew and that was enough. For now.

As if to remind her of why her small sacrifices were worth it, Dani walked into her classroom Tuesday morning to find a surprise waiting for her. A glossy white pot containing a plant Dani had never seen before sat proudly on her desk. Bright green leaves shot out from the pot and amongst them, a few tall red flowers with a yellow spike-looking thing protruding from the center.

The plant was beautiful and Dani was already grinning as she made her way over to it. Without even looking at the small card beside the pot, she knew exactly who it was from – but she eagerly grabbed the card anyway.

_Poppins,_

_Thought this might brighten your day and bring out that lovely smile of yours. I can’t stop thinking about you. Hopefully I can see you soon?_

_x J_

Dani knew she was positively beaming as she read the card in her hand and if anyone happened to catch her in that very moment, she would have a hard time explaining it as anything other than what it was. She tucked the note safely in her purse before she moved the plant to the window, where she could still enjoy it, but where it might attract slightly less attention from curious students and staff.

By the afternoon, she was overwhelmed with questions that had piled up in her mind throughout the day – how did Jamie get into her locked classroom? Did anyone see her? What exactly was the plant? Did it have a special meaning? How was she supposed to take care of it?

With several questions and zero answers, Dani decided to pay the hardware store a visit on her way home to see if Jamie was around to share some helpful insight and alleviate her growing curiosity.

Fortunately, Jamie was alone, sorting out a display when Dani found her. She wandered over with a smile already on her face.

“Hey there.”

Jamie turned and her face instantly lit up with joy at the sight of Dani. “Well, this is a surprise. Are you here for business or pleasure?”

Dani caught her smirk and felt an answering twinge between her thighs. She could tell that Jamie was well aware of the effect her words caused as her smirk only grew more smug the longer she waited for a response.

“Business,” she answered before Jamie could get too cocky about her ability to render Dani speechless with just a few words. She allowed her mind to drift for only a moment to visualize how things might have gone if she said pleasure. Her thoughts quickly turned quite filthy as she wondered if the store had a back room. Or perhaps the alley out back would be secluded enough. She cut those thoughts off to focus on Jamie who took a step closer.

“Oh yeah? What can I help you with?”

Despite her teasing words only a moment earlier, she was now fixing Dani with a look that conveyed how eager she was to help her find whatever she needed. Her concern and attentiveness nearly caused Dani to grab hold and kiss her right in the middle of the hardware store.

“You’re in charge of the garden section, right?” Dani asked, a coy smile tugging at her lips as Jamie nodded. “Well, someone gave me flowers today and I was hoping you could help me figure out more about them.”

“More about the flowers or the person who gave them to you?” Jamie teased, pointing out the rather vague wording of the question.

“The flowers…for now,” Dani answered as her smile widened. Even after everything they had shared on Saturday, she knew there was still plenty more to learn about Jamie. And she planned on finding out everything there was to know, little by little.

Jamie hummed and gave a short nod, “What do these flowers look like, then?”

“They’re beautiful. Although it’s really more of a plant, I guess. Lots of leaves that stick out on long stems. The flowers themselves are red with this little yellow spiky thing sticking out of them.”

Jamie furrowed her brow and tilted her head as she pretended to think about the description. “Sounds like it might be an anthurium. Lovely little plant.”

“Anthurium,” Dani repeated, knowing that was obviously what it was. She’d never heard of it, though she’d suspected as much since she’d never seen the plant before either. “What can you tell me about them?”

“Well, they’re native to the Americas. Some of the best things are,” Jamie paused to wink at Dani, who blushed in response to the comment. “They’re relatively easy to take care of – good for beginners. They like lots of indirect light and the soil should be allowed to partially dry between waterings.”

Dani nodded as she mentally took note of the care tips. However, that didn’t really explain what she was most curious about. “And does this plant have a particular meaning? Or a reason why someone might gift it to someone else?”

Jamie’s smirk was back as she looked at Dani. “If they do have a particular meaning, I don’t know what it is. Personally, I just like the look of them. They look rather…dirty, don’t you think?”

Dani thought back to the plant in her classroom and suddenly the visual clicked and she let out a small gasp of understanding. They did look dirty. Quite dirty, in fact, and she wasn’t sure how she had missed it until Jamie brought it to her attention. Probably because she’d been distracted by how overjoyed she was that Jamie had given her a plant.

However, now that she had made the connection between the flower and the part of the female anatomy it rather resembled, she couldn’t unsee it. And that was going to be a problem. “Jamie,” she said with wide eyes as she dropped the charade of Jamie being an objective, uninvolved employee, “They’re in my _classroom_.”

“Yeah, I thought you might appreciate the surprise,” Jamie commented. “And I figured it might be a bit creepier if I broke into your apartment while you were asleep to drop them off.”

“That’s not what I – wait, how did you even get into my room, by the way? It was locked.”

“Oh Poppins,” Jamie said with a smile as if she found the question endearing. “You’d be surprised how easily the doors at Goldthorpe are opened with a variety of common household items – bobby pin, paperclip, library card, the list goes on.”

Dani could tell that Jamie had broken into her fair share of classrooms and she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know why. At the very least, it was a question for another day. She still had something else on her mind.

“How exactly am I supposed to teach with it in my classroom?”

Jamie knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. “You worried about the kids being distracted? Because I’m sure they won’t even notice it looks like…actually, yeah they’ll probably see something dirty. But at that age, everything looks dirty to them. It’s just one of many phallic or clitorally shaped objects that they come across in their day-to-day life.”

Dani flushed even more because she hadn’t been referring to her students’ reaction to it. “Yeah, I’m sure they will notice…if they haven’t already. But I meant how am I supposed to teach when I have a plant that reminds me of _that_ in my classroom?”

“Oh, so you’re the one who’s going to be distracted,” Jamie said with a nod of understanding. “Well, the best gifts should remind you of the person who gave them to you. So if that plant makes you think of me, especially that part of me, then I have to say I did an excellent job selecting a gift.”

“Jamie,” Dani scolded, even though she couldn’t keep the amused smile from her face. “I already think about you enough as it is, you didn’t need to give me a dirty-looking plant to make me think of you.”

“Yeah? Does that mean you think of my body too?” Jamie asked, making sure her voice was low even though they were still far from other customers perusing the store.

Dani was torn between continuing the conversation and putting an end to it before they got too carried away while Jamie was at work. With how much she’d been thinking of Jamie over the past two days since she’d last seen her, she knew it would only be too easy to get her worked up to the point she was trying to convince Jamie to go back to her flat with her.

“I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you…every part of you,” Dani answered quietly before forcing herself to take a step back at the lustful look Jamie gave her. “But you need to get back to work and I have a plant I need to go remove from my classroom.”

Jamie let out a frustrated groan and shook her head, “Tease,” she muttered under her breath; however, the playful smile she fixed her with indicated there was no real irritation behind the statement. “Where you gonna take my lovely gift then?”

Dani smiled as she caught the slightly concerned expression on Jamie’s face, as if the other woman was worried she might get rid of it. “Home, of course.”

“Oh yeah? Where are you gonna put it?”

The concern was gone and the smug smirk was back. Dani grinned, not even having to consider the answer, “My bedroom.” With the type of thoughts the plant would undoubtedly bring to mind whenever she looked at it, it was truly the best place in her flat to keep it.

Jamie let out a thoughtful hum, “Can’t wait to see it.”

It was a cocky statement, to be sure. But it only made Dani smile even more as she found herself eagerly looking forward to the next time Jamie would see it. “Call me tonight so we can set up a time for you to come over this weekend? To see the plant, since you’re so interested.”

“I’ll call you,” Jamie promised, reaching out to quickly squeeze Dani’s hand – it was as much physical contact as either woman felt comfortable with in Jamie’s place of work. “And just so we’re clear…the plant’s not the only thing I’m interested in seeing.”

The words were barely above a whisper, but Dani heard every one and it caused a shiver to run up her spine. With how eagerly she was anticipating the upcoming weekend, she knew the next three days would pass ridiculously slow. Especially if Jamie kept finding new ways to work her up before then.

She shot Jamie a playful glare, knowing she was well aware of what her words did to Dani. All she got in response was a wink, which caused her to smile as she turned to leave. The weekend couldn’t arrive soon enough.

* * *

By Friday, Dani was barely holding it together. It seemed every little thing reminded her of Jamie in some way. It also didn’t help waking up to a plant that held a striking resemblance to the female anatomy every morning.

Rationally, she knew that she and Jamie were just in that stage of every new relationship where they were infatuated with one another and couldn’t think of anything else. And now that their budding relationship also included absolutely mind-blowing sex, she found it a little difficult to think about anything other than getting to experience that new and oh-so-satisfying aspect of their relationship.

Dani found herself thinking about getting Jamie into bed so frequently that by Friday night she knew she couldn’t wait any longer. Even though they had a date planned for the following day – out to a movie and then back to Dani’s flat for dinner, she found that the nearly twenty or so hours that stretched between now and when she’d see Jamie were too long to wait.

She decided to give Jamie a call to see if she might consider a slight revision to their plans – a revision that involved Jamie coming over as soon as possible. With a grin, she eagerly grabbed the phone and dialed the familiar number.

Dani bit her lip in anticipation as she waited for Jamie to answer the call. She slowly wrapped the cord around her finger as she pictured all the things she wanted to do to Jamie when she got to her flat.

“Hello?”

Dani froze. The voice on the other end of the line was not the one she expected, but it was certainly one she recognized. The phone cord began to unravel from her finger as panic set in and she struggled to figure out what to say.

When she finally spoke, she disguised her voice with an imitation of the South Yorkshire accents she was so used to hearing in the town she lived. She also dropped her voice a few octaves for good measure.

“’ello, is your sister ‘ome?” Dani winced, the words had come out as a bizarre Yorkshire and Cockney hybrid that sounded unlike any other accent she’d heard since living in England.

“Uh…yeah, she is,” Mikey replied, the confusion clear in his voice. “Who is this?”

Dani closed her eyes, not sure how she was going to get out of this. She should have just hung up the second she’d heard Mikey’s voice. She cursed her damn impatience for making her so eager to talk to Jamie. She decided this was a sign that she should just wait until tomorrow, so she tried to evade the boy’s question and bring the call to an end.

“Never mind, I’ll try her back another time,” she replied in an accent that attempted to mimic Rebecca’s. It was a bit better, although it sounded nothing like the first one she’d tried. She didn’t even give Mikey a chance to respond before she hung up the handset.

Even after the call disconnected, panic continued to course through her so she began to pace the room to expend her nervous energy. She hoped Mikey hadn’t figured out it was her. If he did, how would she be able to explain that? What excuse was there for his teacher to call his house on a Friday night to talk to his sister?

Dani wasn’t sure how long she had been pacing her living room when the phone began to ring. She froze before cautiously making her way closer. She stared at the phone for a moment, wondering if Mikey had hit the code to redial. Enough time had passed it seemed unlikely he would have waited so long, but she couldn’t be sure.

“Yes?” She answered, her voice high-pitched and nervous, certainly hard to identify if it was Mikey calling.

“Poppins? You alright?”

Dani let out a sigh of relief at the voice on the other end. “Jamie, hi.”

“Did you call my house?”

Dani felt her panic rise at the question. She couldn’t even be the slightest bit amused that this was the second time Jamie had missed her call but somehow managed to figure out she’d been the one calling. She was terrified that it meant Mikey knew it was her.

“How did you know?” She asked nervously, preparing herself for the answer she dreaded.

A pause and then a quiet chuckle echoed down the line. “Mikey told me someone with a ‘weird’ accent called looking for me. He thought it was one of my mates prank calling me…and honestly, it might have been. But I thought I’d try you first, just in case. Seems I was right.”

Dani felt the tension begin to seep from her posture as she sank into a chair. “So Mikey didn’t know it was me?”

“Nah,” Jamie replied, the word sounding almost affectionate as if she knew how much it would put Dani at ease. “Though I might have to have a chat with him if he thinks your accent is weird. Personally, I find it quite attractive.”

Dani huffed out a half-laugh, which was all she could manage seeing as she was still a bit tense. “He didn’t, I mean…I was doing a fake accent. So he wouldn’t recognize that it was me.”

“Ah. That makes a bit more sense. Any chance I could get to hear this fake accent of yours? Mikey said it was the strangest thing he’s ever heard in his life.”

A faint, embarrassed blush tinged Dani’s cheeks. “No.”

Jamie let out a mildly disappointed hum, “I’m sure I can find a way to get it out of you at some point.”

The confident tone fueled the hint of irritation that Dani hadn’t even been aware was under the panic. It began to mix with her embarrassment until she decided to voice the cause of her frustration. “I thought you said Mikey never answers the phone.”

There was a pause and then Jamie’s voice returned, the playfulness gone. “Uh, I mean, he doesn’t usually. But he is capable of doing so.”

“What if he had recognized my voice, Jamie? How would I have explained why I was calling his house on a Friday night?”

“He didn’t though. You did a good job covering; he honestly doesn’t seem to have the faintest idea that it was you.”

Dani wanted to take comfort in the words. However, she was still a bit panicked and a bit annoyed and Jamie didn’t seem to be truly getting it. “Yeah, we were lucky he didn’t catch on this time. But what if it happens again? He’s going to realize something weird is going on eventually.”

Jamie let out a sigh; not frustrated exactly, but it sounded tired. “What do you want me to do? I can tell him not to ever answer the phone, though it might be a bit weird. Now that I’m working, I suppose I could use some of that money to pay for my own phone line. Or I can plan to call you at a certain time every night so you don’t have to worry about calling me; you’ll know when to expect my call just in case there was something you wanted to ring me about.”

Dani let her irritation melt away and a soft smile formed on her face. Jamie could have gotten annoyed with her panicked questions; she could have snapped or gotten snarky. Instead, she’d chosen to be patient and try to think of solutions to ease Dani’s nerves. And that was enough to calm her concerns; at least, for the time being.

“Okay,” she murmured, the simple response laced with affection.

“Yeah? Which one?” Jamie asked, “Because I listed about three options so you’ll have to be a bit more specific.”

Dani chuckled and shook her head, “None of them, I just…I’m feeling better about it all. Sorry for getting so panicked – and thank you.”

“Anytime.” There was a pause and then Jamie spoke again. “Was there any particular reason you were trying to reach me? Or did you just miss the sound of my voice?”

Dani felt her face flush as she thought back to why she’d been so desperate to reach Jamie. “No reason. Just wanted to make sure we were still on for tomorrow.”

“You sure that’s all it was?” Jamie asked, her volume dropping slightly. “No other reason you were calling?”

Dani swallowed and wondered if she was really that transparent. “Why else would I be calling?” She knew her own quiet murmur gave away the fact there was another reason. But she wasn’t going to be the one to say it.

“Well, personally, I haven’t been able to get my mind off you all week. Haven’t been able to stop thinking about last weekend in particular,” Jamie replied, her words slow and tone low. “Thought that might have something to do with why you were calling. But perhaps that was just wishful thinking.”

Dani felt her earlier arousal begin to spark back to life between her thighs at the tone of Jamie’s voice. However, she was still very aware of why it had ebbed in the first place. “Jamie, we shouldn’t be talking about this. Mikey’s there.”

“He is…for about twenty more minutes until he’s off to stay the night with some friends,” Jamie replied. “Does that mean you’ll tell me the real reason you called once he’s out of the house?”

Dani processed the new piece of information. She could wait and call Jamie back when they might have more privacy. Or perhaps…“So Mikey’s going to be out with friends…and I guess that means you don’t really need to stay to keep an eye on him. Would you maybe want to come over?”

A low exhale sounded through the phone and then a sigh, “I’d love to, Dani. Seriously, I don’t think you know how much I want to. But my dad’s out on a date and he has the truck.”

“Oh.” A frown formed on Dani’s face and she knew her disappointment was unmistakable even through the single syllable response.

A brief pause followed and Dani knew she should say something else; something along the lines of it being okay even though she knew her voice would betray her true feelings on the matter.

“You know what? I’ll just take the bus. I can head out after Mikey leaves and I’ll be there in about thirty minutes or so, depending on the bus schedule.”

Dani’s heart leapt, but only for a moment. “Jamie, no. If it’s too dangerous for me to take the bus late at night, you shouldn’t be doing it either.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ve done it before; I’ll just be cautious. I can handle myself.”

Dani wanted to chuckle at how determined Jamie sounded; she knew what she’d offered by asking Jamie to come over was definitely motivating her to find a way to get there. “It’s not safe,” she repeated. “Besides, we’re going to see each other tomorrow.”

A deflated sigh on the other end of the line, followed by a soft, “Yeah, I guess.”

“Oh wow, at least act a little more excited for our date tomorrow. Only the third one and you already sound bored of me,” Dani teased, trying to lift her own spirits as well as Jamie’s.

It seemed to work as Jamie let out a quiet chuckle. “Definitely not bored of you. And I am excited about our date tomorrow. Just would have been nice to see you tonight, is all.”

“I know,” Dani agreed since that had been the reason she’d called in the first place. “But it’ll be tomorrow before we know it. And we can always start out by spending some time at my place…and then maybe see a later movie.”

Another chuckle, this one decidedly more amused. “If you’re suggesting what I think you are, I’m not so sure I’ll be motivated to go and see a movie _after_.”

Dani let out a hum of agreement, “That’s not so bad though, right?”

“Definitely not,” Jamie agreed quickly, as if she quite liked the thought of spending all day at Dani’s apartment with no other plans.

The silence that followed was filled with an electric energy that Dani could feel in her bones. She knew they were both wishing there was a way they could be with each other at that very moment. Some way they could speed up time and have it be Saturday so they could spend an entire day wrapped in each other and nothing else.

Dani felt her arousal becoming even more insistent than before she’d decided to call and knew it was time to get off the phone before it got even worse. “So I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“You will,” Jamie promised. “Looking forward to it.”

“Me too. Goodnight, Jamie.”

“Goodnight, Poppins.”

Dani hung up the phone and stared at it. She wasn’t sure how Jamie’s voice could have such an effect on her. It seemed any combination of words uttered in that accent were enough to capture her full attention, but when Jamie strung words together that were intended to work her up, she was practically powerless to the effects.

She knew she was lucky Jamie had taken it easy on her tonight, likely because Mikey was still around, because she wasn’t sure what she would have done if Jamie had intentionally been trying to get her hot and bothered. As it was, she could still feel the knot of tension low in her abdomen urging her to go to Jamie to get some relief or else do it herself. And while she wasn’t opposed to taking matters into her own hands…she found she really, really wanted to be in Jamie’s hands again.

Dani raked her fingers through her hair and let out a frustrated groan. Just sitting and thinking about Jamie had effectively worked her back up again. She was a half-second away from calling back to tell Jamie to take the bus when another thought occurred to her. If Mikey was going to be away all night and Jamie’s dad was out on a date…that meant Jamie had the place to herself.

It seemed like all the pieces fell into place presenting Dani with a brilliant answer to her dilemma. She had a way she could see Jamie and it didn’t involve putting the other woman at risk to do it. There was still the problem of how _she_ was going to get there, but she figured she could call a cab and hope for the best. She certainly wasn’t going to get in if it looked like someone who would attack her, but either way, she’d rather put her own safety at risk than Jamie’s.

After calling a cab, Dani leapt up from her seat and began packing some things in her backpack. She wasn’t sure if she would end up staying the full night, but she figured it was best to be prepared just in case.

Dani debated calling Jamie to give her a heads up, but decided to wait and have it be a surprise. She could already picture the look on Jamie’s face when she realized Dani had come to see her…and that they wouldn’t have to wait until tomorrow to get the relief they’d both been so desperately craving all week.

She went downstairs to wait for the cab and let out a sigh of relief when a frail old man with a kind smile pulled up in the yellow cab outside of the building. All the way to Jamie’s house, the man chattered on about the towns they were passing, giving Dani tips about which things she should check out and which restaurants she needed to try, which put Dani even more at ease. When they finally stopped outside the familiar house, Dani thanked the man and asked for his name – she knew if these late-night visits were going to become a habit, she was glad to have found a cab driver she could trust.

The cab driver gave her a happy smile as he pulled a business card out of the glove compartment and handed it to her before wishing her a good night.

Dani got out of the cab and gave the man a final farewell wave before she turned to look at Jamie’s house. She could see the light was on in one of the second-floor windows and could just make out the Talking Heads poster that she remembered from Jamie’s room. Her body began to buzz in anticipation of seeing Jamie but she didn’t want to risk Mikey still being in the house, even though it was past the point he should have been gone.

She walked around the patch of grass outside the front of the house and collected a couple of small stones before heading back to the window. She tossed the first pebble up, but her aim was off and bounced off the side of the house. The second one hit the window, emitting a light clacking sound. To be safe, she tossed the third as well, grinning when it also hit the window.

A moment later, a confused face appeared in the window and Dani’s grin doubled in size. She watched as Jamie looked around before her gaze finally landed on her. Her eyes widened in surprise and then a smile nearly matching Dani’s in excitement spread across her face.

Jamie was gone from the window in an instant, but only a moment later the front door was thrown open. Dani made her way over to the front stoop as Jamie was doing her best to adopt a casual pose against the door.

“Poppins, to what do I owe the pleasure?”

Dani’s smile faded into a smirk. She wasn’t sure if the word-choice had been intentional, though it was starting to seem less coincidental now that it was the second time in a week Jamie had found a way to casually work ‘pleasure’ into conversation.

“I just figured you might get lonely all by yourself tonight,” she said as she made her way closer. “Thought you might like some company.”

Jamie’s eyes darkened as she took in the seductive smile on Dani’s face and the slow but purposeful way she closed the distance between them. “You thought right,” she replied with a smirk of her own. Her hand darted out to grab Dani’s as she quickly pulled her into the house.

Dani let out a delighted laugh at Jamie’s impatience as the front door slammed shut behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sleepover at Jamie's!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who read, left kudos, and/or commented on the last chapter! I loved seeing all the reactions to their first time. Finally, right? There will be more smut ahead. And some twists and turns as well, so I hope people continue to stick with the story to see what happens!
> 
> Shoutout to stringofdreams on Tumblr for the prompt/idea to have Jamie leave something for Dani in her classroom. It was sent a while back and I've had it in the back of my mind ever since; I had so much finally getting to work it into the story, so thank you for sending it!


	22. Chapter 22

From the front door to Jamie’s bedroom, there was very little talking. In fact, there wasn’t much of anything other than restless, groping hands and stolen kisses as Jamie and Dani tried to both satisfy their lust and get upstairs as quickly as possible.

Eventually they realized their little pauses for kisses and stumbling over stairs while trying to grab at each other was only slowing them down. They stopped only until they were safely in Jamie’s room, at which point their brief bout of patience dissolved into another uncoordinated rush – this time to remove their clothes and get into bed.

Jamie was the first undressed and she sprawled out eagerly on the mattress, with Dani joining only a moment later. She crawled over Jamie’s body before leaning down to properly kiss her. Due to their mutual impatience, it wasn’t long before hands began to wander while their lips were locked in a hungry kiss.

Jamie was the first to take things a step further by sliding a hand down Dani’s stomach and between her thighs. Dani whimpered when she felt one finger enter her and she shifted to better support herself on her hands and knees as she hovered over Jamie. She pulled away from the kiss to catch her breath as Jamie slowly slid her finger in and out.

Dani began to rock against Jamie’s hand. She didn’t care how eager it looked; after several long days of craving Jamie’s touch, she was elated to finally be in her very capable hands again.

“More,” she pleaded as she rested her forehead against Jamie’s.

Jamie did as she asked and soon there was a second finger joining the first. Dani let out a gasp to express her approval and leaned in to kiss Jamie with the desire that was coursing steadily through her veins.

Her kiss was eagerly returned and Jamie slipped her tongue into her mouth while her fingers slowly began to pick up the pace.

Dani brought her hands to Jamie’s shoulders to help guide her own movements as she continued to rock in time with the fingers thrusting inside her. With a particularly eager rock of her hips forward, her leg pressed between Jamie’s, drawing a grunt from the woman whose tongue was occupying her mouth.

It didn’t take long for Dani to figure out what elicited the sound and she shifted her position to place her leg firmly between Jamie’s thighs so she could press against her with every move of her own hips.

The appreciation for her change in position was quickly apparent as Jamie enthusiastically quickened the pace of the hand inside Dani while letting her own sounds of contentment spill into Dani’s mouth.

It was the first time they’d both been working simultaneously towards each other’s pleasure. Dani wasn’t sure if Jamie would be able to come just from the pressure she was applying, but the fact she was still doing something to build her up while Jamie was doing her very best to get her off caused her level of arousal to skyrocket.

She broke away from the kiss, nipping briefly at Jamie’s lower lip before she pulled back. She adjusted her position so she could focus on maintaining the steady rhythm of her rocking, both for her own benefit and for Jamie’s.

Jamie watched her; her eyes dark with arousal. She brought up the knee that was positioned between Dani’s legs and rested her hand against it. With the firm support of her own leg behind her hand, Jamie was no longer able to thrust her fingers inside Dani. Instead, it was all on Dani to generate the movement through her rocking, with the leg behind Jamie’s hand providing a solid support to thrust back against.

Dani only slowed for a moment as she caught on to the change and adapted to Jamie’s lack of movement inside her. And then she was picking up the pace again, rocking even more insistently as she slammed back onto Jamie’s fingers.

“I think this is honestly the hottest thing I’ve ever seen,” Jamie murmured as she watched Dani move back and forth above her.

Dani let out a breathless chuckle as she dropped a quick kiss to Jamie’s lips before resuming her steady rhythm. “Oh yeah? You like watching me do all the work? I guess all that smoking’s already taking a toll on your stamina.”

Jamie smirked and brought her other hand up to cup one of Dani’s breasts, giving it a firm squeeze as Dani continued to rock harder back on Jamie’s hand. “Just conserving my energy…trust me, Poppins, I’m willing to put in as much work as you can stand all night long. Can’t believe you’re still worried about my stamina after last weekend.”

Dani would have replied if she wasn’t so busy releasing gasps and moans as she fucked herself on Jamie’s fingers. She was already looking forward to the thought of going all night when the first round wasn’t even over. However, with how quickly her climax was building, she knew it wouldn’t be long before she’d be returning the favor and then they could move on to rounds two…and three…maybe even four.

“Jamie! I’m home! Connor and I are staying here tonight, okay?”

Both women froze in shock at the sound of the voice yelling up from the first floor followed by the thud of the front door being slammed shut.

“Oh my god, is that Mikey?” Dani hissed even though she knew the answer. “What is he doing here?”

“No fucking idea,” Jamie muttered, seeming very annoyed by the interruption in contrast to Dani’s state of sheer terror.

Dani hastily pulled herself off of Jamie’s fingers and began frantically searching for her clothes while Jamie stood up from the bed.

“Just…give me a second, okay?” Jamie said quietly to try to calm the anxious Dani. She threw on a t-shirt before opening her door a crack to call down. “Oi, Mikey! Why are you home?”

“Andrew’s mum got mad at him because he didn’t clean his room like he said he did. He’s grounded so we weren’t allowed to sleep over,” Mikey called back.

Jamie sighed and leaned her head heavily against her door, “Can’t you stay at Connor’s then?”

“His parents don’t let him watch TV after eight,” Mikey yelled back, “It’s so boring there!”

“Are you serious?” Jamie muttered quietly as she shot a glance back at Dani. “Out of any night for this bullshit to happen, it’s tonight?” She shook her head and began grabbing other clothes to pull on. “Hold on, I’ll go try and sort it out.”

Dani watched her go before resuming her efforts to get dressed as quickly as possible. Her initial panic was starting to recede but she still was very uncomfortable with the idea that one of her students was right downstairs. Especially given what she and Jamie had been in the middle of when he came home.

She tried to keep herself distracted so as not to descend into full-on panic by going through Jamie’s music collection. However, she found her fingers mindlessly sorting through cassettes, barely taking in the names of bands and artists as her thoughts wandered to what was happening downstairs. When Jamie finally returned, Dani’s gaze snapped up expectantly.

Jamie let out a sigh as she closed the door, making sure to lock it behind her. “So, I tried talking to Mikey. But he’s really set on staying here tonight. Apparently, Connor’s house is pretty awful. And it’s already late, so I can’t exactly try to ship them off to another friend’s house.”

Dani was disappointed that she hadn’t been able to figure out some way to get them out of the house, but she knew Jamie was just as disappointed. She could also tell that Jamie’s concern for her brother’s well-being took precedence over her own wants and desires and that alone lessened Dani’s frustration. Jamie always put Mikey’s needs before her own and the last thing she needed was for Dani to be upset about it and make her feel worse.

“It was nice of you to let them stay,” she said softly, “You saved the sleepover.”

Jamie looked surprised by the response before a small smile quirked up the corners of her mouth, “Yeah, I suppose I did. They both seemed pretty happy about it, anyway. I honestly thought Connor was gonna hug me, he seemed so excited.”

Dani laughed, but was distracted as she was already mentally sorting through her list of students, “Do you know Connor’s last name?”

Jamie gave her a knowing smirk, which indicated that she could see through Dani’s question to what she really wanted to ask. “He’s not one of your students,” she reassured her. “He does go to Goldthrope, but he’s in year 12.” Her smirk slipped into a frown, “He’s one of Mikey’s newer friends; he lives a few blocks down. He seems like a good enough kid, but he’s already 13. Mikey’s only 11…he’ll be 12 in March, but still. I don’t like the thought of him hanging out with teenagers.”

Dani felt her heart melt at Jamie’s obvious concern for her brother. She moved closer so she could pull Jamie into her arms. “He’s only a grade older. Mikey’s in secondary school now, you should just be glad he’s not hanging out with the 16-year-olds. That would really be cause for concern.”

She felt Jamie tense in her embrace at the thought and she let out a soft chuckle. “Relax,” she said as she leaned back enough to look at Jamie’s nervous expression. “He’ll be fine. It’s good he’s making friends. And I don’t think you have to worry about him getting into too much trouble, he has an amazing role model to look up to.”

“You?”

Dani tried to figure out whether Jamie was teasing or serious; however, her expression was hard to read. “I think if I was referring to myself, you should be concerned about my ego. But no, I was talking about you. You’re a great older sister, Jamie. And even more than that, you’re an incredible person. He’s so lucky to have you.”

Jamie ducked her head, but not before Dani caught sight of the blush spreading across her cheeks.

“It’s true,” she pressed as she pulled Jamie closer. “He’s lucky to have someone so caring and protective and smart and funny…and just all around amazing. I can tell how much he looks up to you.”

Jamie glanced up to meet her gaze, a small smile on her lips. “You know you don’t have to say all that stuff to get in my trousers, right? Honestly, you can just slip your hand in ‘em right now if you want.”

Dani laughed, only catching herself at the last moment to keep the volume of her laugh low enough that it didn’t escape the confines of the room. She could tell that Jamie had a hard time accepting compliments so she wasn’t upset that her default was to mask her flustered reaction with a flirtatious joke. She was about to lean in for a kiss – a chaste one that was simply meant to reassure Jamie she meant everything she said and not a kiss intended to lead to anything more – when a knock at the door caused them both to freeze.

“Shit!” Dani cursed quietly as she glanced around the room.

“This probably isn’t the best time, but I don’t think I’ve told you how hot I find it when you curse,” Jamie whispered.

Dani shot Jamie a glare to inform her that it really wasn’t a good time for that. There was another knock and Dani shoved Jamie in the direction of the door while she hurried for cover behind the wardrobe.

She tried to quiet her shallow, panicked breaths as she listened to Jamie’s soft footsteps heading towards the door, followed by the flip of a lock and the creak of the door being pulled opened.

“Oh…hi.”

“Hey Jamie,” greeted a voice that Dani didn’t recognize. Although she was relieved it wasn’t Mikey, she had no plans to move even an inch from her hiding place.

“I, uh, I just wanted to apologize for the change of plans. I hope we didn’t ruin your evening.”

“It’s alright,” Jamie replied dismissively and Dani was proud of her for having so much restraint and not letting even a hint of frustration creep into her voice.

“Anyway, I think Mikey and I are going to get some snacks and watch a movie or something. If you want to join us, you’re more than welcome to.”

Dani’s eyebrows raised as she caught on to why Mikey’s friend had come upstairs.

“I’m good…but thanks.”

“Okay,” Connor replied and Dani could hear the disappointment in his voice. “If you change your mind. We’ll be right downstairs. So…feel free to come hang out. If you want to.”

“Right,” Jamie said, her confusion evident even though Dani couldn’t see her expression. “Have a good night,” she added in a tone that indicated she was trying to put an end to the conversation.

“Yeah, uh, thanks. You too!”

Dani waited until she heard the door shut and the lock click into place before she stepped out of her hiding place with a grin.

“What are you so happy about?” Jamie asked as she moved closer to Dani, “You were practically pissing yourself a minute ago.”

“Charming,” Dani teased, but didn’t let it alter her good mood. “I couldn’t help but notice that _someone_ has a crush.”

“Just realized that, did you? I’ve been trying to make it pretty obvious for months,” Jamie said as she stepped forward to wrap her arms around Dani’s waist. “What was it that finally tipped you off? Having my fingers inside-”

Dani clapped a hand over Jamie’s mouth to cut her off. Even though she didn’t want Mikey and Connor to hear any part of their conversation, she especially didn’t want to risk them overhearing _that_.

“I wasn’t talking about that,” she said as she moved her hand from Jamie’s mouth and brought it down to rest on her shoulder. “I was talking about Connor’s crush on you.”

“On me?” Jamie asked in surprise. “What are you talking about?”

“Come on, Jamie,” Dani said with an amused grin, “He came up here to ask you to watch a movie with them.”

“So,” Jamie said with a shrug, “He was just being nice.”

Dani’s grin widened, “Tell me, how many times did you invite Denny’s friends to hang out with you and your friends?”

“Those arseholes?” Jamie scoffed, “You couldn’t have paid me to spend time with them.”

“Yeah, because it’s pretty weird to hang out with your sibling’s friends…especially when there’s as big of an age gap as there is between you and Mikey,” Dani pointed out. “He likes you.”

Jamie’s face scrunched in disgust, “Well, I don’t fucking like him!”

Dani bit her lip to keep in the laughter that would definitely have attracted attention from the others in the house. “Good, because not only is he a minor, but I’d be pretty sad if you left me for a teenage boy.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. Ever.” Jamie promised as she tightened her hold on Dani’s waist before letting out a groan and dropping her head to Dani’s shoulder. “God, the last thing I need is that kid hanging around even more just to try and talk to me.”

Dani felt a little bad for how much amusement she was getting out of the situation when it was not nearly as entertaining to Jamie. “Aw baby, do you want to cuddle? Will that help?”

Jamie’s head snapped up at the pet name and she searched Dani’s eyes to see if it was a serious offer before she nodded.

Dani smiled and made her way over to the bed; as soon as she was settled against the pillows, she held her arms out for the brunette. Jamie didn’t waste any time in joining her and cuddling close.

“Does this help make it better?” Dani asked, still with a teasing lilt to her voice as she stroked through Jamie’s brown curls.

“A bit,” Jamie admitted before glancing up at Dani with a mischievous look in her eyes. “But I think going back to our earlier activities will make me feel _a lot_ better.”

Dani could feel the tightening in her lower abdomen that indicated her body was ready to take Jamie up on her suggestion, but she knew that was a supremely horrible idea.

“As much as I want to continue those activities…I think they’re gonna have to wait until tomorrow.” She caught Jamie’s frown and used her hold on her hair to pull her into a quick kiss. “I want to. Believe me, I do. But now that Mikey’s here, I can’t stay tonight. I should have left already.”

“But how are you going to get home?” Jamie asked with a concerned furrow of her brow. “My dad has the truck and will probably be staying over at his girlfriend’s tonight. And we’ve already talked about how the bus and cabs aren’t always safe at this time of night. Not to mention, the boys are going to be sleeping down in the living room tonight so it’ll be quite a challenge to get you out of the house without them noticing.”

The mention of cabs gave Dani an idea and she all but ignored the second, and potentially bigger, problem. “Oh! I have the number of the cab driver who gave me a ride here tonight. He was really nice and perfectly harmless. I could just give him a call.”

Jamie looked at her blankly for a moment before an amused smirk crossed her face. “Here you are, giving me shite about a 13-year-old with a crush when you’re the one who has grown men falling all over you, giving you their phone numbers.”

“He wasn’t ‘falling all over me’,” Dani shot back with a roll of her eyes. “I asked him for his number.”

Jamie’s eyebrows raised in surprise, “Ah, the plot thickens. Am I about to lose you to some cabbie?”

Dani chuckled and shook her head, “I don’t think you need to be too worried about that. He was just nice and I figured with all the awful, dangerous cab drivers you warned me about that are lurking around at night, it might be nice to have the number of one who seems decent. You know, in case we ever need to go somewhere at night.”

Jamie shifted closer. “Do you plan on these late-night visits becoming a regular thing? Because I’m not complaining. Just need to know if I should invest in a ‘fuck off’ sign for my door to make sure we have more privacy.”

Dani laughed as she leaned in to brush her lips against Jamie’s. “I don’t think I plan on making these visits too frequent when you have a full house. That just seems to be asking for trouble.”

“You do seem to have a habit of asking for trouble,” Jamie pointed out. “The first time you stayed over here…that time you nearly had your way with me on a picnic blanket…”

“Okay, that was you who practically jumped _me_ ,” Dani pointed out.

Jamie ignored Dani’s correction and continued in a sensual tone, “On Bonfire Night when we were making out behind a parked car…say what you will, Poppins, but I think you have a thing for trouble. I think you’re practically begging for it.”

Dani felt her heart pounding heavily in her chest at Jamie’s low, seductive tone. She wasn’t so sure they were talking about the same thing when they said ‘trouble’ anymore. In fact, Jamie’s use of the word seemed to be synonymous with something far more appealing.

She pulled Jamie in for a hungry kiss, finding that her words were working her up to the point she had already forgotten why she didn’t want to do this in the first place.

Jamie returned the kiss for a moment before pulling away to place hot, quick kisses along her jawline leading to her ear. “See, trouble,” she teased as she took her earlobe between her teeth and bit down.

Dani released a quiet moan and brought her hands up to grip Jamie’s back. Her eyes slipped closed as she enjoyed the sensation of Jamie’s teeth and mouth on her.

“Are you gonna beg for it?”

Dani gasped and her eyes flew open at the question. She knew that Jamie was referring back to her statement from a moment ago and was probably proud of how easily she was able to turn the teasing words into something downright sexual.

The arousal from her near-climax earlier returned with a vengeance and caused an insistent throb to settle between Dani’s thighs. All thoughts about why she shouldn’t do what she was about to do were firmly shoved to the back of her mind, overshadowed by the strong need to have Jamie finish what she started.

“Jamie,” she whispered as her fingers dug harder into her back. She knew she wouldn’t let Jamie get used to it, but tonight she was willing to say the word she wanted to hear. “Please.”

And it wasn’t quite desperate enough to count as begging, but it caused Jamie to let out a low gasp that seemed equal parts disbelieving and turned on. She reached down to undo Dani’s pants and tugged them along with her panties down to her knees, far enough down to allow her to slide two fingers inside Dani.

Dani gasped, doing her best to keep herself quiet even if she wasn’t allowing herself to really think about why that was a necessary precaution. Her hips pressed down against Jamie’s hand, urging her deeper.

“Do you have any idea how hot you are?” Jamie whispered in her ear as her fingers began to thrust and curl inside her. “Jesus, Dani, you turn me on so fucking much it should be illegal.”

Dani huffed out a laugh, the sound only half-formed as she focused on the fingers picking up speed inside her. The only thing she cared about was Jamie finally releasing the knot of tension that had settled ever since she left Dani’s flat the week before. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Jamie since then. Hadn’t been able to stop thinking about _this_ , in particular.

“Feels so good,” she murmured as she let one hand slide up Jamie’s back to tangle in her hair. She could feel her orgasm slowly starting to build again and she was desperate for relief. “God, please make me come.”

Jamie’s teeth sank into her neck as she released her second plea of the night. But it was quick, not enough to leave a mark. “Name’s Jamie, but I’ll respond to ‘god’ too.”

Dani wanted to be annoyed by the cocky remark, but that might require stopping and she really didn’t want to do that. She supposed there were worse things than letting Jamie be smug over that one. “Stop…talking…” she pleaded, her whispered words escaping in gasps as she began rocking her hips in rhythm with Jamie’s fingers.

Fortunately, Jamie complied with her request and busied her mouth with kissing along Dani’s neck while her fingers worked her closer and closer to the edge.

“Jamie! The TV’s doing that thing again - we can’t see shite! Can you come and fix it?” Mikey shouted up from the living room.

Dani’s entire body froze while Jamie dropped her head to her shoulder with a frustrated groan. As soon as Dani got over her initial shock she grabbed Jamie’s wrist to remove her fingers, as if afraid someone would come bursting into the room any second.

“I’m gonna kill him,” she muttered into Dani’s skin, “I’m gonna fucking kill him _and_ his little friend.”

Dani could empathize with her frustration, but she knew it was partially her fault. It was beyond risky to engage in these activities when Mikey and Connor were in the house, yet she’d ignored her better judgment due to her own libido. They were just lucky they had time to stop things before someone was on the other side of the door.

“You should go and help them,” she murmured as she stroked Jamie’s hair back from her face.

“Don’t want to,” Jamie mumbled, “Broken TV serves them right for interrupting.”

“The pouting is very sexy,” Dani teased as she shifted onto her side, forcing Jamie to roll onto her back. “Just think, if they don’t have TV, they’ll be bored and even more disruptive. You may have to stay down there to entertain them all night – especially if Connor has a say. And I’ll just be up here…in your bed…alone…trying to find some way to keep myself occupied.”

“Jamie!” Mikey shouted again, “Come fix the TV…Please!”

“You better go before they come up here,” Dani encouraged, worry beginning to creep into her voice.

“Alright,” Jamie conceded as she leaned in for a final peck. “But please tell me we can continue this later?”

“Maybe,” Dani replied as she watched Jamie sit up, wiping the fingers still coated with Dani’s arousal on the bed to hide the evidence of their activities. “ _Much_ later. When they’re asleep.”

“Gonna lace their fucking sodas with sleeping pills,” Jamie grumbled as she headed for the door.

“Jamie!” Dani protested, only just remembering to keep her volume down. “Don’t you dare!”

“If we had any, I might,” Jamie shot back with a playful smirk before she unlocked the door and quickly slipped out in the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the never-ending sleepover, huh? Sorry to leave it there, but it was turning into such a long chapter I had to cut it somewhere. Will Dani ever get to come? We'll see!
> 
> Thank you to everyone who read/left kudos/commented on the last chapter! I love seeing your reactions in the comments and on tumblr; they always inspire me to keep writing so that I can (hopefully) finish this story at some point. I finally have all the remaining major plot points of this story planned and outlined so it does have an end in sight...but don't worry because there's still quite a bit I want to include before then, so it's not wrapping up anytime soon.


	23. Chapter 23

Dani collapsed back onto the pillows and let her frustration fully take over now that Jamie was gone and she didn’t have to be the responsible one anymore.

After allowing herself a minute to pout over being interrupted yet again, she got up to locate more comfortable clothes to change into. Although she’d brought a pair of pajamas in her overnight bag, Dani decided that she’d much rather borrow some of Jamie’s clothes for the evening.

She located some suitable pajamas and quickly changed, knowing that Jamie finding her in any state of undress would make it all too easy for her to talk Dani into continuing what they’d just been doing. Dani knew she wouldn’t need much convincing once Jamie pulled out some of her more persuasive methods, but unfortunately, it seemed they were destined to be disrupted tonight and she didn’t think she could tolerate being worked up again without relief.

By the time Jamie returned, looking just as annoyed as when she’d left, Dani was waiting for her on her bed wearing one of Jamie’s t-shirts and a pair of sleep shorts. Instantly, Jamie’s frown turned into a smile as she locked the door before making her way closer.

“I must say, you look great in my clothes…though I wish you’d waited until I got back to change.”

Dani could have predicted the response and tried not to give in to the smirk Jamie was fixing her with.

“I figured it was…safer this way,” she explained as she adjusted her t-shirt.

“Safer?” Jamie asked with a playful tilt of her head.

“Yeah, we need to stay away from things that will make us want to…you know.”

“Fuck each other’s brains out?”

Dani shot Jamie a glare, not appreciating how much amusement she seemed to be getting out of this. “Keep it up and we’ll see if my ‘maybe we’ll continue things later’ changes to a definite ‘no’.”

Jamie chuckled, clearly not too scared of the warning. Perhaps because she could see the lust in Dani’s eyes and knew the threat had no real bite. “Well, if you’re dressed for bed, I should do the same.”

Immediately, Dani brought her gaze down to her lap. She knew what Jamie was doing and she refused to play into her trap. It wasn’t long before a shirt landed across her legs. She resisted the urge to look up as she stared at the shirt and ignored Jamie.

If Jamie was bothered by her unwillingness to look at her, she didn’t make it known. Instead, she silently tossed her jeans onto Dani’s lap as well.

“Do you expect me to fold these for you?” Dani teased as she moved the clothes to the other side of the bed without looking up. A moment later, a bra landed in front of her.

“Nope,” Jamie replied, her smirk audible in her voice.

Dani swallowed as she stared down at the bra and gently set it aside to join the other clothes. A long moment passed, as if Jamie was intentionally dragging things out, and then a pair of panties landed in her lap.

Dani stared and felt her hands twitch with the effort she was exerting to try to remain calm. She cautiously moved the underwear to join the other clothes, but she was all too aware there was a very naked Jamie standing a few feet from her. Even without looking, she knew Jamie had made no attempt to change into pajamas yet.

Eventually, her lust won out and she glanced up to see Jamie standing a few steps away from the bed; her expression as smug as Dani had ever seen it.

“You’re going to get cold if you stay like that,” Dani commented as her gaze slowly wandered over Jamie. She was certain she would never get tired of checking her out no matter how familiar she became with her body.

“Then maybe you should do something to warm me up,” Jamie murmured as she moved closer to the bed.

“Jamie,” Dani said with a warning in her voice. “Later, okay? I just…I don’t think I could handle being interrupted again. Not with the way you work me up.”

Jamie stopped and sighed heavily. However, she didn’t seem angry, just disappointed – a feeling Dani could empathize with. “Alright, Poppins,” she agreed before turning to pick out pajamas from the mess of clothes spilling out of her wardrobe. “Have I mentioned I want to kill them?”

“Enough that it’s starting to get concerning,” Dani teased.

Jamie chuckled as she pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top before returning to the bed. Dani would have complained about just how little Jamie actually had on, but found she really enjoyed the amount of skin on display. Even if it was very dangerous for her libido.

Dani racked her brain to think of safe conversation topics that were unlikely to lead to a continuation of their earlier activities. As Jamie settled beside her on the bed, Dani finally grasped a stray thought linked to a comment Jamie had made earlier in the evening.

“So your dad has a girlfriend?”

Jamie paused for a moment as if startled by the unexpected comment. She then shifted to fix Dani with an expression that read as both confused and amused. “Why? Are you jealous? Don't tell me this has all just been a ploy to get closer to my dad.”

Dani rolled her eyes as she brought up a hand to nudge Jamie’s shoulder. “Yeah, because the best way to show someone you’re interested in them is by sleeping with their daughter.”

Jamie laughed before she decided to go easy on Dani and genuinely answer the question. “He’s been seeing this woman for a few weeks now. Haven’t met her, but he seems to like her well enough. She’s younger than him, which would make me a bit nervous, but it’s not like there’s a Taylor family fortune for her to go after.”

“There isn’t? Damn,” Dani teased as she snuggled up closer to Jamie.

“Ah, so that’s what you’re after. Sorry to disappoint,” Jamie shot back with a grin before dropping a kiss to Dani’s hair. “He seems happy though. I hope she’s good for him. She’s a secondary school teacher, like you, so I like her a little more just for that. Teaches history though, so not sure I can trust her. Anyone who is good at memorizing that many useless dates is not to be trusted.”

Dani chuckled as she leaned her head on Jamie’s shoulder. “She seems nice. When do you think you’ll get to meet her?”

Jamie gave a half-shrug with the shoulder that wasn’t supporting Dani’s head. “Don’t know, my dad mentioned something about doing a family dinner at some point with…ah, fuck. I always forget her name. Starts with an R, I think.”

Dani sat up with a start as ‘young’, ‘history teacher’, and ‘name starting with R’ all snapped together in her mind like pieces of a puzzle she did not want to put together. “Rebecca?” She asked nervously, her eyes wide and slightly panicked.

Jamie’s eyebrows drew together as she shook her head, “No, Ruth, I think. You alright, Poppins?”

Dani exhaled and felt the tension melt away as she relaxed back against Jamie. “Yeah, fine. Sorry.”

Jamie pulled her closer and let her fingers stroke soothingly over Dani’s arm. After a moment she spoke up again, “Rebecca…isn’t that the name of your friend? The one who teaches history at Goldthorpe?”

Dani breathed out a laugh and nodded. She was embarrassed that Jamie had figured out her mistaken conclusion, but given her dramatic reaction to what she thought she’d put together, she couldn’t blame Jamie for trying to sort it out.

“You must think quite highly of my dad if you think he could land someone that young who looks like that.”

A sheepish blush tinged Dani’s cheeks pink. She hadn’t really put much thought into the likelihood of her assumption before she’d blurted it out.

“And isn’t she dating that perpetually sneering arsehole?”

“Yes,” Dani groaned out, already regretting how quickly she’d jumped to conclusions. “But there was enough there that lined up and…I don’t know, I just got worried.”

“Worried?” Jamie questioned as she shifted in order to better see Dani’s reaction.

“Yeah,” Dani said with a shrug. “Worried that if Rebecca was with your dad it would only make it even weirder when she found out that you and I are…y’know, sleeping together or going on dates or whatever.”

“Weird because…I’d be banging my future stepmum’s friend?” Jamie joked before pulling an exasperated Dani closer. “Dani, it’s fine. Crisis avoided, yeah? No need to be so worried.”

“I know,” Dani admitted with a sigh. She leaned further into Jamie’s embrace and tried to let go of the lingering bits of tension. She was glad Jamie didn’t press her further on why she was so worried by the thought as she had a feeling it would only upset Jamie to know just how anxious Dani really was at the thought of telling her friends they were together. Fortunately, the fact they still weren’t ‘officially’ together meant that she could continue to push off telling anyone for a while longer.

“For the record, I really enjoy sleeping with you and going on dates with you and whatever,” Jamie threw Dani’s words back at her with a teasing grin. “And if you ever wanted to put a fancier label on all of that, I might just be willing to consider it.”

Dani’s breath caught in her throat as she realized what Jamie was getting at. As much as she was tempted by the idea of having an official label with Jamie, now was not the time she wanted to have that conversation. Especially since she’d just clung on to the fact that they didn’t yet have a label as a justification as to why it was okay that she hadn’t told her friends about Jamie.

She adjusted her position so she was straddling Jamie’s lap and leaned in for a soft, lingering kiss. “I think I might be a bit more inclined to discuss that on a night we’re not hiding out in your bedroom while one of my students is downstairs.”

“Fair enough,” Jamie agreed as she wrapped her arms around Dani’s waist to pull her closer as she reconnected their lips.

Dani did her best to keep the kisses soft and slow with plenty of breaks to breathe and control her arousal before it could escalate again. It was working fairly well, but with the way Jamie was grasping at her hips and chasing her lips every time she pulled away, she knew it would only be a matter of time before they needed to stop and switch to a less tempting activity.

A knock on the door startled them both and drew a low, frustrated groan from Jamie. “Whatever this is better be important.”

“At least your fingers aren’t inside me this time,” Dani whispered with a smirk as she moved off of Jamie’s lap.

Jamie’s eyes flashed with lust as she looked over at Dani. “Just how is that supposed to make me feel better? I’m still not completely over the urge to kill the little shites for interrupting earlier.”

The knock repeated, a little louder this time followed by a hopeful, “Jamie?”

“Aww it’s your not-so-secret admirer,” Dani cooed.

Jamie narrowed her eyes at Dani as she stood to make her way over to the door. Dani ducked beneath the covers even though the bed wasn’t in direct view of the door.

“What do you want?”

Dani bit her lip to keep from laughing at how Jamie was trying to adopt a neutral tone, but the impatience crept in anyway.

“I was, uh…I was just in the bathroom. And it was running kinda low on toilet paper. So I was wondering where you keep it. Just in case we run out later and need more.”

“Toilet paper?” Jamie questioned, her voice carrying an edge of suspicion. “Are you trying to TP someone’s house?”

“No!” Connor quickly replied. “Honestly, no. I just wanted to know where a roll was in case we need it later. But it’s okay, I mean there’s still some in there. It should be fine.”

“So, you just wanted to come and ask me about it _in case_ you run out later? You expecting to be using the toilet a lot tonight? Because I’m gonna have to ask that you use the downstairs one if that’s the case.”

“No, nothing like that. I might not have to use the toilet at all actually. It will be fine. Sorry to bother you.”

Dani waited until she heard the sound of the door closing before she emerged from under the covers. She was barely able to hold back her laughter, but she shot Jamie a playfully scolding look. “You were mean.”

“I was _mean_?” Jamie questioned as she made her way back towards the bed. “Kid comes to bother me asking about toilet paper like he’s about to absolutely destroy our toilet and I’m mean?”

Dani laughed as Jamie crawled on the bed towards her. “You know he was just looking for an excuse to talk to you. You embarrassed the poor boy.”

“Yeah, well, maybe if I do it enough he’ll stop trying,” Jamie pointed out as she laid down beside Dani. “Lord knows I’m definitely not trying to encourage this ridiculous crush.”

Dani couldn’t argue with her because it was a valid point. “I can’t believe he was actually asking about toilet paper,” she said as she tried to resist the urge to giggle at how absurd the conversation had been.

“I don’t know whether to feel bad because that was the best excuse he could come up with…or be offended because he thought that was a topic that would get me going,” Jamie joked as she reached a hand out to stroke over Dani’s side.

“He’s trying so hard, it’s kinda cute. But mostly sad because he has no game. He could actually learn a thing or two from you about flirting with women,” Dani mused as she shifted closer to Jamie.

A cocky smirk settled on Jamie’s face, “Oh yeah? You saying I have good moves?”

“Well, I didn’t rush over here to spend the night in your bed because you have bad moves,” Dani pointed out with a teasing smile.

Jamie tightened her grip on Dani’s hip as she leaned in to brush her lips over her playful smile. “Can we get back to having our fun yet?”

“They’re still very much awake,” Dani replied, but caught Jamie’s lips in a quick kiss.

Jamie groaned and dropped her head back against the pillows. After a moment, she turned her head to look at Dani. “What do you suggest we do until they do fall asleep, then?”

Dani shrugged as she glanced around the room. “We could listen to music, or talk, or read. Whatever you want,” she caught Jamie’s smirk and quickly amended her statement, “That involves keeping our clothes on and our hands and mouths mostly to ourselves.”

“No fair,” Jamie grumbled before sighing. “Alright then. Lady’s choice, what do you wanna do?”

“I don’t think that phrase works when we’re both women,” Dani teased.

“Oh, I’m no lady,” Jamie shot back, her smirk positively wicked as she looked at Dani.

Dani’s breath caught in her throat at the way Jamie was looking at her – as if she was picturing a hundred different ways she could prove it to Dani. If she got this flustered from a single look, she knew it was going to be a long night.

After regaining control of her libido, Dani decided on reading to pass the time – distracting both her mind and her gaze from Jamie seemed like the safest option. Fortunately, the choice of activity did serve as a good distraction as they read side-by-side on the bed, maintaining some form of physical contact between them – arms pressed close, legs intertwined, stealing the occasional kiss or two every few pages.

Every now and then, Jamie had to head downstairs to tell the boys to settle down when they became too loud and rambunctious. Dani welcomed those rare times when the boys were distracted to escape to the bathroom, sure she wouldn’t run into anyone on her secret missions to brush her teeth or use the toilet.

Jamie had just left for another check on the boys, who were now suspiciously quiet, and Dani stretched out under the covers, wondering if she’d even be able to stay awake long enough to resume their earlier activities.

She’d nearly nodded off when Jamie returned to the room with a giddy smile. “They’re asleep!” she whispered as she locked the door behind her. “Fucking finally.”

“Oh, good,” Dani replied as she struggled to push herself up against the pillows. She brought a hand up to rub over her eyes, trying to look a little more alert.

Jamie’s eager smile faded into something softer, her eyes glimmering with affection and just a hint of disappointment. “You’re tired,” she observed as she made her way closer to the bed.

“No, I’m fine,” Dani insisted. As if on cue, a yawn crept up on her and she tried to fight it before covering it with her hand.

“Poppins,” Jamie said sternly as she playfully narrowed her eyes. “You know I don’t like being lied to.”

Dani gave a remorseful smile, “Okay, fine. I’m tired. It has to be late though – what time is it?”

“It is late,” Jamie agreed, “It’s a little after two.”

Dani groaned and settled further into the bed, “No wonder I’m so tired. Why were they up so late?”

“Because they’re kids at a sleepover,” Jamie pointed out with a chuckle. “Did you expect them to be asleep by nine?”

“I guess not,” Dani admitted, “But I was hoping maybe they would be.”

“Hey, I offered to dose them with something earlier and you said no,” Jamie said as she held her hands up to indicate she wanted nothing to do with Dani’s pouting over the boys’ late bedtime.

“Yeah, and I’m glad you didn’t. It’s generally not advisable for a teacher to be complicit in the drugging of students.”

Jamie crawled back into bed beside Dani, moving their abandoned books to the nightstand. “Firstly, I doubt we would have been caught. And secondly, if we did, I would have taken the full blame. I would have proclaimed your innocence and done all the jail time myself.”

“My hero,” Dani replied drily with a small smile. “I wouldn’t have waited for you, you know.”

“Well that’s just rude,” Jamie replied as she leaned in for a kiss.

Dani returned the kiss but soon had to pull back as another yawn escaped.

“You should get some sleep,” Jamie said as she ran a hand through Dani’s hair. “Did you brush your teeth?”

Dani gave a tired nod, not picking up on the teasing tone.

“You did?” Jamie asked as she furrowed her brow. “I hope you didn’t just pick a toothbrush from the bathroom at random.”

A sleepy chuckle escaped Dani as she shook her head. “Brought my stuff,” she said as she nodded in the direction of her overnight bag.

“So you brought a toothbrush but not pajamas?” Jamie questioned, which caused Dani to bite her lip to hide her sheepish smile since she had, in fact, brought pajamas that she just didn’t feel like wearing.

Jamie chuckled at the reaction. “I prefer you in my clothes anyway,” she murmured and dropped a kiss to Dani’s cheek before standing up. “Guess it’s my turn to get ready for bed.”

Dani looked over to watch her go and then snuggled further under the covers. She was nearly asleep by the time Jamie returned, but was able to register Jamie turning off the lights before crawling into bed with her.

“As much as I wish we’d been able to have our fun times earlier…this is pretty great too,” Jamie murmured as she cuddled up behind Dani and wrapped an arm around her stomach.

Dani nodded, too tired to produce a verbal response, as she pressed further back against Jamie. She placed one hand over the arm wrapped around her and pulled it closer to her chest.

“Goodnight, Poppins,” Jamie whispered as she pressed a kiss to her shoulder over the thin cotton of her borrowed t-shirt.

“Night,” Dani mumbled, already half asleep. It wasn’t long before she drifted off to a content, peaceful slumber.

Hours passed and Dani was in a deep sleep, but not quite deep enough, as a sound tumbled from her lips along with a sudden twitch of her body, startling her back into consciousness. And she’d been asleep, teetering on the edge of a dream, but she knew the sound that had escaped her had crossed the barrier from dream to reality. Which meant she had startled herself awake with a moan.

Her heart pounded heavily in her chest as the remnants of the dream, the entirely intoxicating dream which featured a lot of Jamie and very little clothing, faded away and left her in a dark room lit only by dim moonlight spilling in through the window.

Out of all the times she’d been built up without any relief over the course of the evening, this one might have been the worst because Jamie hadn’t even been touching her. At least, not in real life – apart from the arm draped over her waist. The arm which began to shift along with the warm body behind her.

“You alright?” Jamie murmured sleepily, having been woken either by Dani’s moan or her sudden movement as she was ripped from sleep.

“Yeah,” Dani replied, her voice a bit higher in pitch and tighter than usual given her still racing heart and the remnants of the dream lingering at the edge of her awareness. “Sorry to wake you.”

Jamie let out a dismissive hum as she used the arm around Dani’s waist to pull her a little closer into her embrace. “Bad dream?”

“Not exactly…” Dani whispered in reply. She didn’t elaborate because Jamie sounded tired and she didn’t want to keep her up.

However, either her response or her voice must have contained something to tip Jamie off as the body behind her shifted again. “Good dream, then?” Jamie asked, sounding a little more alert.

Dani captured her lower lip between her teeth, trying not to outwardly react to the effect Jamie’s low, whispered words were having on her. “Very good. At least, until I woke up.”

For a moment, there was silence and stillness and Dani was worried Jamie had fallen asleep again. But then the hand on her stomach began to move, fingers stroking lazy circles over her abdomen.

“Sounds like you could use a helping hand,” Jamie murmured as she shifted again, pressing closer until she was flush against Dani’s back.

Dani wanted to chuckle at the reference to the conversation they’d had on Bonfire Night when she’d told Jamie about her sex dream and how she’d taken care of herself. But she was currently too worked up from her latest dream to find anything amusing. It was as if all the previous times she’d been built up earlier in the evening came rushing back all at once and the need for Jamie was overwhelming.

“Please,” she found herself desperately whispering her agreement with the suggestion. She hoped Jamie hadn’t been joking…but something told her even if it had only been a half-serious offer, Jamie would still take her up on it.

A quiet ‘fuck’ escaped Jamie’s lips and then the hand on her abdomen was moving lower until it slipped under the band of her borrowed sleep shorts. “Dani,” Jamie murmured in awe as she found Dani already wet and ready for her. “That must have been some dream.”

Dani silently nodded in agreement as she angled her hips and spread her legs a bit wider to allow Jamie more room to explore.

“Tell me about it,” Jamie husked in her ear as her fingers stroked slowly through her wet folds.

Dani let out a soft moan at the command. She knew she could refuse and Jamie would never push her; would never make her do anything she didn’t want to. But she found she liked it when Jamie took control and she was quite willing to do as requested.

“I was dreaming about you,” she began, although she figured that much was obvious, “And me…we were outside somewhere. Kind of like where we had the picnic, but not exactly like that because it was a dream, so it was familiar but different.”

Jamie let out another hum as her fingers moved higher to lightly brush over her clit. Too gentle to be anything other than teasing. “And what were we doing?”

Dani resisted the urge to whine at the lack of pressure on her clit and instead drew in a breath as she tried to recall as much of the dream as she could before it slipped away. “We were kissing at first…and then there was touching. You slipped your hand under my dress. In the dream I was wearing a dress. You liked it.”

Jamie chuckled at Dani’s ramblings, the sound coming out low and breathy in her ear. “I’m sure I did,” she replied as she maneuvered her free arm around to brush blonde hair away and tuck it behind Dani’s ear. “Keep going,” she encouraged as she began to place soft kisses along her neck.

“You, um…you put your hand under my dress and you were touching me. And then…and then you were fucking me.”

A low groan escaped Jamie as her fingers began to press more insistent circles over Dani’s clit. “Like this?”

Dani bit down on her lip to quiet her moan as Jamie finally started touching her with the pressure she needed. “At first,” she said as she shifted into Jamie’s touch, “And then you went inside.” She felt Jamie pause and she quickly reached down to place a hand over the one inside her shorts. “But I like you here,” she clarified, knowing that with how desperate she was to get off, this would be the quickest way.

Jamie resumed working her fingers over her clit as she kissed along her neck. “Pull your shorts down for me, love.”

Using both hands, Dani quickly slid her shorts down her hips. After a brief pause to consider, she slid them the rest of the way down before kicking them off her feet towards the bottom of the bed to be retrieved later. Without anything constraining her movement, she shifted one of her legs back, wrapping behind Jamie’s legs and opening herself wider to Jamie’s circling fingers.

An appreciative hum slipped from Jamie’s lips. “Good girl,” she whispered before she ducked her head to gently suck over Dani’s pulse point, not hard enough to leave a mark.

Dani gasped and her hips jumped at the whispered comment. She might have been embarrassed by her reaction if not for how insanely aroused she was from the combination of the praise, the mouth sucking on her neck, and the fingers rubbing frantically over her clit.

“Fuck,” Jamie cursed as she continued kissing all over the parts of Dani’s neck she could reach from her position. “I feel like this is not the time to be discovering your little kinks, Poppins. I’m gonna wake up tomorrow and think it was all just a lovely dream.”

Dani breathed out a laugh as her hips began moving in rhythm with Jamie’s fingers. She could feel the way Jamie was moving behind her, grinding into her ass as if looking for some relief of her own which only turned Dani on even more. She was getting close and she was desperate to finally come before something could interrupt them again. “Guess you better remember then. Or try your luck again another night and hope it wasn’t a dream.”

She could feel Jamie’s grin against her skin before teeth nipped at her neck to scold her for her teasing. “Trust me, I don’t want to forget anything about this.”

Dani smiled in response, but words were too difficult to string together as she got closer and closer to the edge. Her breath began to escape in gasps as she used a hand to reach behind her, clutching at Jamie’s hip while her other hand grasped the bed sheet.

“Jamie…please,” she whispered, knowing she might have a meltdown if something were to stop her from getting off this time. Fortunately, Jamie seemed just as inclined to help her reach her climax as her fingers kept up the fast but steady pace over her clit.

“Since you asked so nicely,” Jamie murmured as she added a bit more pressure while leaving sloppy kisses and nips along her neck. Her hips continued to grind into Dani from behind, revealing her own level of arousal as she worked Dani closer to the edge. “Now be a good girl and show me how sexy you look when you come for me.”

Dani felt her eyes roll back in her head as her hips spasmed again and she let out a moan. She was so close – Jamie’s last comment nearly enough to make her come on the spot, and she knew it wouldn’t be much longer until she was falling apart.

“Shh, can’t have you waking the whole house up,” Jamie whispered, the hand between Dani’s legs never slowing as she slipped her other hand between Dani’s neck and the pillow so she could place it over her mouth. “This okay?”

Dani nodded eagerly, welcoming the hand that clamped down over her mouth. Not only did she appreciate the help quieting her noises but she also found it turned her on even more. It didn’t take much longer before she reached her peak, her back arching as filthy moans spilled from her mouth into Jamie’s hand.

Jamie steadily worked her through her orgasm until Dani sank heavily back against her, nudging her hand from between her legs. The hand over her mouth fell away and both arms came up to hold her close to Jamie’s chest.

“Holy shit, Dani. That was so fucking hot.”

Dani let out a breathless laugh, finding that she couldn’t disagree with the assessment. She took a minute to simply lie in Jamie’s embrace while her heartbeat slowed to a normal rate. Once the post-orgasm fatigue cleared enough that she felt capable of moving, she turned in Jamie’s arms to face her.

The expression Jamie fixed her with was full of so much adoration that it nearly left her breathless again. A content smile crossed Dani’s face before she leaned in to kiss Jamie tenderly.

It wasn’t long before Jamie’s tongue was brushing over her bottom lip, seeking entrance, which she quickly granted. The hungry kiss left her panting within mere moments and Dani knew that even though she had finally been satisfied after a frustrating night, Jamie had not. And from the way Jamie had been grinding against her earlier, Dani knew she was just as desperate for relief as she had been.

Dani continued the heated kiss while she slipped a hand between their bodies and then swiftly into Jamie’s shorts. The quiet moan that was released into her mouth suggested Jamie was more than okay with her actions.

She could feel the wetness immediately – it was dripping down Jamie’s thighs and the fabric of her shorts was soaked, likely a result of her frantic grinding against Dani. She let out a soft moan of her own at the thought that she’d been the one to turn Jamie on this much. It was still hard to wrap her head around the effect she had on the brunette, but it was a bit easier to accept it when she was confronted with the clear evidence of her arousal coating her fingers.

“Dani,” Jamie whispered, the name a quiet plea as she pressed against the hand in her shorts.

It was the urgent tone that convinced Dani not to take her time and tease. She knew Jamie needed her and she wanted to deliver just as well as Jamie had. She withdrew her hand, but only so she could yank the shorts down low enough for Jamie to take over and kick them off to join her own somewhere at the bottom of the bed.

Dani lifted one of Jamie’s legs to wrap around her hip before she reached down and slid two fingers into her. She knew Jamie was incredibly turned on but was still stunned how little resistance she received as her fingers slipped deeper inside.

Jamie pressed her lips together to hold in her moan before she wrapped a hand around the back of Dani’s head and brought her back in for a bruising kiss.

Dani eagerly returned the kiss as her fingers began to move in and out of Jamie, setting a gradually increasing pace. She could tell from the small sounds escaping Jamie that she was very much enjoying what was happening.

“I need…more,” Jamie mumbled against her lips during a brief break to catch her breath.

Dani wasn’t entirely sure what she meant by more. Perhaps she was asking for Dani to use her other hand to touch her breasts, circle her clit…or she needed more of what Dani was doing. Faster pace, maybe. With how easily Dani’s fingers were sliding through the almost obscene amount of wetness, she couldn’t help but wonder if maybe Jamie was asking for more _inside_.

She withdrew her hand only to re-enter her slowly with three fingers. She could feel the stretch, the slight resistance, but not so much as to stop her fingers from slipping smoothly into Jamie.

“Is this what you want?” She asked as she pulled her head back enough to gauge Jamie’s reaction.

A frantic nod was her only reply before Jamie crashed their lips together to help quiet her needy moan. “Feels so good,” she murmured against Dani’s lips before she slipped her tongue into her mouth.

Dani was proud of herself for figuring out what Jamie needed, but didn’t waste time praising herself for it since she knew her attention was better focused elsewhere. She started with a slow pace again, but gradually added speed, using the whimpers and gasps from Jamie as encouragement.

One of Jamie’s hands was still at the back of her head, tangled tightly in blonde hair. The other was gripping her shoulder; short nails digging into soft flesh through the thin barrier of her t-shirt.

Dani wasn’t sure if she’d ever seen Jamie this worked up, but she figured she’d looked about the same a moment ago. After the night of interruptions they’d suffered through, perhaps it wasn’t too surprising they were so desperate for each other.

She began to thrust her hand harder, angled just so that her palm brushed against Jamie’s swollen clit with nearly every thrust. The response of Jamie tightening her hold on her as her mouth opened around a silent gasp assured Dani that what she was doing was exactly what Jamie needed.

“Want to see you come,” Dani murmured. She wasn’t as naturally gifted at dirty talk as Jamie seemed to be, but she wanted to get better. Especially if Jamie liked it even half as much as she did. “I want to watch you come for me, baby,” she whispered against her lips.

Jamie groaned and bit down on Dani’s lower lip as she pulled her even closer.

Dani could tell she was close so she kept her pace up as best as she could despite the close angle Jamie was holding her not being the best for continuing her rhythm. A moment later, Jamie’s body went rigid as she released a series of whimpers into Dani’s mouth and a slightly louder cry before her whole body relaxed.

Dani slowed her pace but kept moving as she was filled with the familiar warmth and feeling of pride that always followed getting Jamie off. When she finally slipped her fingers out, Jamie emitted a little huff and shifted closer to Dani as if trying to make up for the loss from inside her.

It didn’t take any convincing for Dani to hold her close, only taking a brief detour to wipe her soaked hand off on her shirt before wrapping both arms around Jamie.

“Rude,” Jamie mumbled against her cheek as she nuzzled close, “That’s my shirt, y’know.”

Dani chuckled as she rubbed a hand over Jamie’s back. “How about a trade then? I keep this one and you take one of mine?” Although she knew Jamie had only been teasing, she couldn’t resist the opportunity to get to keep one of Jamie’s shirt. Especially this one given the lovely memories that would go along with it.

“Deal,” Jamie smiled against her skin before pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.

“You want to get some more sleep?” Dani asked as she felt her own fatigue begin to creep up on her now that they were both satisfied; at least for the time being.

Jamie nodded and pressed another kiss to her cheek before turning around in her arms. Dani had absolutely no problem being the big spoon as she cuddled up behind Jamie. She felt the rise and fall of Jamie’s chest become slower and steadier as she nodded off. Only moments later, Dani followed into a deep and dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This really is the longest sleepover ever. I mean, it's nearly done, but still. At least Dani finally got off.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who is still reading this fic (and to those of you who have recently started reading and caught up). This story is honestly longer than I ever expected and I really appreciate all of you who are continuing to read, leave kudos, and comment, it means a lot. Thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter - your comments made me laugh so much; all the frustration with Mikey and pity for Dani - I loved it. 
> 
> Fun fact - I wrote this entire chapter before Cosy Con (which I did not attend, but I'm very grateful for the updates I got on tumblr). When I was editing and got to the part where Jamie says she'd take the blame and do all the hypothetical jail time for Dani I was like 'oh cool, there's no way anyone will believe I wrote this before Amelia said what she said about Jamie's prison time' lol.
> 
> To my dear ninjaatheart - I hope you enjoyed the shoutout to your otp lol I'm still laughing over it


	24. Chapter 24

Dani awoke to the sound of gentle, yet persistent knocking on the door. As she slowly regained awareness of her surroundings, the knocking gradually grew louder.

A hesitant, but hopeful, “Jamie?” was called out and Dani was simultaneously annoyed and amused as she recognized the voice.

“Jamie,” she whispered as she shook the shoulder of the woman sleeping beside her.

Jamie let out a tired groan as she snuggled further under the covers.

An affectionate smile formed on Dani’s face at the adorable display in front of her. However, she knew she couldn’t take her time to appreciate a grumpy and tired Jamie the way she wanted to. She shook her shoulder again as she leaned in close to whisper, “Your boyfriend is at the door.”

That seemed to get Jamie’s attention as she blinked her eyes open and glanced over her shoulder to fix Dani with a look of pure confusion.

The knocking started up again with a slightly louder, “Jamie?”

“Oh god,” Jamie groaned as her tired and sluggish brain finally put the pieces together. “Hold on!” she called out to put an end to the impatient knocking.

“You should go get it before he tries to break down the door to get to you,” Dani teased before a terrifying thought struck her and caused her playful smile to fall away. “Wait, you did lock it, right?”

“Yes,” Jamie mumbled as she reluctantly stood up from the bed. She seemed set on going to answer the door before Dani hurriedly grabbed her wrist.

“Jamie! Pants!” She hissed as quietly as she could.

Jamie stopped and glanced down in confusion, “Where are my…” she trailed off as memories from the night before appeared to seep back into her awareness. When she lifted her head, the confusion was replaced by a look of glee. “That really did happen last night, yeah?”

Dani rolled her eyes because now was not the time for Jamie to be smug. “The door!” She reminded her as she shoved her hip to encourage her to get a move on, “But put on pants first or you can forget about that little crush of his ever going away.”

Jamie smirked in amusement as she grabbed a pair of sweatpants and slipped them on. As she reached the door, Dani ducked out of sight under the covers.

“Yeah?”

“Good morning…sorry if I woke you,” Connor greeted, his voice slightly timid with a hint of nerves. “I thought you would have been up by now…but you never came downstairs for breakfast.”

“What’s this then?”

Dani wished she could see whatever was happening because she wasn’t sure what Jamie was referring to. However, she had to settle for simply listening in on the conversation while tucked out of view of the doorway.

“Oh…well, Mikey and I had breakfast. And since we didn’t see you, I thought you might want a cuppa. I mean, I didn’t just make it for you. I was making tea for myself and figured you might want some too.”

Dani felt her heart go out for the boy who was clearly trying his best to seem casual about the fact he just made a cup of tea to bring to his crush. She wished the circumstances were different and that she could go and sit Connor down to gently break it to him that his feelings weren’t going to be returned and he would be better off going after someone his own age – and someone far less gay.

“Aren’t you a bit young for caffeine first thing in the morning?” Jamie questioned. “I thought kids like you and Mikey preferred juice or milk.”

“No,” Connor replied defensively and Dani could hear the hurt in his voice. “I have tea all the time. And I’m not a kid, I’m thirteen.”

“Right…” Jamie trailed off and there was a period of silence that Dani wished that she could observe. “Thanks for the tea, then.”

“Oh, no problem.” A slightly shorter pause and then, “You, um, look really nice this morning. I like your vest top.”

The nervously mumbled compliment was soon followed by hurried steps on the stairs and Dani could tell the boy had quickly fled after his burst of courage.

As soon as she heard the door shut, she threw back the covers and watched Jamie approaching with a mug.

“Don’t start,” Jamie warned as she caught sight of the grin on Dani’s face.

“He made you tea,” Dani enthused as she moved to make room for Jamie on the bed next to her. “And he said you look nice before I even got a chance to tell you that myself. I think I have some real competition here.”

Jamie snorted as she settled on the bed, careful not to spill the hot liquid from her cup. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Haven’t even had a chance to see if he can make a proper brew.”

Dani shifted onto her knees, facing Jamie as she watched her take a tentative sip. She maintained a neutral expression as she appeared to mull it over. “It’s not the best I’ve had. But it’s certainly better than your coffee…so yeah, might be some cause for concern.”

Dani laughed as she shifted her position again to straddle Jamie’s lap. She reached out for the mug, which Jamie handed over before her hands dropped down to stroke over Dani’s bare thighs.

She held Jamie’s gaze as she took a sip and let out an appreciative hum as the beverage helped to both warm her and wake her up. “I have to admit this is better than the tea I make.” She let out a dramatic sigh as she set the mug on the nightstand, figuring that Jamie wasn’t in a hurry to take it back now that her hands had slipped under the hem of Dani’s shirt to rest on her hips. “I guess I lost fair and square.”

“Hang on a minute,” Jamie said as she squeezed Dani’s hips. “Sure, he might make a better cuppa, but there are other things that factor into my decision. Things I care about much more. Like being woken up in the middle of the night to help relieve the tension of a sex dream by someone incredibly gorgeous who likes proving what a good girl she can be.”

A bright blush spread across Dani’s face and chest as she thought back to the previous night. For some reason, being reminded of her newly discovered praise kink was even more embarrassing in the light of day. But she could tell from the lustful look in Jamie’s eyes that she wasn’t being teased; in fact, Jamie looked like she wouldn’t mind spending some time indulging her in her little kink.

The hands under her shirt slid around to her backside, giving a quick squeeze while pulling her further down onto Jamie’s lap. She knew she needed to switch the direction this conversation was taking before they got carried away while Mikey was awake and only one floor below them.

“I guess we don’t know for sure if I have the upper hand there. Not unless you ask him how he feels about being called a good girl.” Dani hoped the joke would be enough to shift Jamie’s focus away from her libido before she took things any further.

Jamie frowned and shook her head, “Ugh, no thanks. And I don’t appreciate the unwanted visual of having that conversation, by the way.”

“I know,” Dani said as she reached a hand over to sort out Jamie’s bedhead. “But I think the things you were picturing before that were leading to a bad place.”

“I disagree. I think they were headed to a pretty wonderful place,” Jamie countered.

A thought popped into Dani’s mind and she sat up a little straighter. “Are we still on for our date today?”

Jamie frowned again, “Okay, I know we were joking, but you don’t really think I’m gonna leave you for that child downstairs, right?”

Dani laughed as she leaned in to kiss the frown from Jamie’s face. After a moment she pulled back with an excited smile, “I was just thinking, if we’re still planning on hanging out later today, there’s no reason we can’t just go back to my place and get started on that date a bit earlier than we planned…”

“I have work,” Jamie said with a sigh as she glanced over at the clock on her nightstand. “But thankfully, it’s not a full shift today. Just a few hours in the afternoon.”

Dani tried to hide her disappointment as she nodded. She’d forgotten that Jamie’s job didn’t often grant her Saturdays off, especially since the store was closed on Sundays. “Oh, right. We’ll just stick to the original plan then.”

“Or…we could change things up a bit,” Jamie suggested. “I can get ready for work here, we take the bus back to Goldthorpe, get some breakfast…or perhaps an early lunch given the time. I’ll walk you home and then head to work. After work, I can go back to yours so we can have our date.”

The thought of getting to spend a bit more time with Jamie before her shift started was definitely tempting and Dani didn’t even have to fully consider it to know she was on board with the idea. However, her thoughts had already jumped ahead to the date; specifically, how much time they’d initially planned for it.

“I like it… but can I suggest another change?”

“Of course,” Jamie agreed with a nod.

A small, hopeful smile quirked up the corners of Dani’s mouth. “Since you don’t have to work tomorrow, would you want to stay over at my place tonight?”

“I’d love to,” Jamie grinned before catching Dani’s lips in an eager kiss. “Seems only fair since our sleepover last night didn’t exactly go as planned.”

Dani kissed Jamie again before she pulled back, “That’s not going to be a problem, is it? Mikey won’t be home alone?”

Jamie gave her a soft smile as she stroked her thumb over the concerned furrow that formed between Dani’s eyebrows. “I’ll make sure either my dad’s sticking around tonight or that Mikey has a friend’s house to go to.”

“Okay,” Dani exhaled in relief, glad that she wasn’t causing any problems by wanting Jamie all to herself for the night. The exchanged a few more lingering kisses before Jamie reluctantly extracted herself from the bed so she could get ready for work.

Less than an hour later, Jamie was showered, dressed, and had sent Mikey and Connor out on an errand that would allow her and Dani to make a stealthy escape from the Taylor house. Dani was wearing her clothes from the day before with her backpack dangling from one shoulder, while Jamie was dressed in her work clothes, her own overnight bag eagerly gripped in one hand.

They’d only just stepped off the front stoop when a familiar pickup truck pulled into the driveway.

“Oh no,” Dani whispered as her eyes widened. The all-too-familiar physiological symptoms of anxiety began to creep up on her and she froze on the spot.

“Poppins, you alright?” Jamie asked as she realized Dani was no longer in step beside her.

“Your dad,” Dani hissed as she watched the driver’s side door open. She couldn’t believe she was about to have yet another unexpected, and undoubtedly uncomfortable, encounter with Jamie’s father.

Dennis Taylor stepped out of the truck and shut the door behind him. His gaze drifted between the two women as he slowly made his way around the car.

“Alright?” He asked his daughter with a slight nod as he approached the front walk.

Jamie nodded, “Yeah, you?”

Dennis gave an answering nod of his own before he glanced down at the bag in Jamie’s hand. He looked back up and then at Dani a few steps behind her, before he returned his attention to his daughter. His eyes contained a question that it seemed he wasn’t going to ask out loud.

The combination of nerves and dread formed a tight knot of discomfort in Dani’s stomach, but Jamie didn’t look concerned in the least, so Dani tried to ease her own worry. However, she was very acutely aware that this was Jamie’s father, the one parent that Jamie still had in her life, and right now Dani was making an interesting second impression that was no better than the first impression she had made.

Even though they hadn’t defined their relationship, she and Jamie were still _something_. Which meant that she wanted Mr. Taylor to like her – and she knew she wasn’t off to a great start now that she’d been caught sneaking out of the house _twice_ after a night spent with his daughter.

“Hi, I’m Dani,” she greeted with a grin far more cheerful than she felt as she took a few steps forward and extended her hand. Introducing herself using her full name was out of the question; she wasn’t sure if Mikey spoke about his teachers at home, but if he did, Dennis Taylor would certainly think it an odd coincidence that his daughter’s friend ‘Dani Clayton’ and his son’s teacher ‘Miss Clayton’ were both young, blonde Americans living in South Yorkshire.

He stared at her a moment before accepting her proffered hand in a firm handshake. “Dennis,” he introduced gruffly before he dropped his hand and looked over to his daughter.

“I’m gonna be gone for the night,” Jamie explained as she lifted the bag in her hand. “You okay to look after Mikey? Or send him to a friend’s?”

Dennis nodded, “Yeah, us Taylor boys should be alright for a night on our own.” There was a teasing edge to the words and a brief flash of a smirk that reminded Dani so much of Jamie.

“Try not to let Mikey burn the house down,” Jamie joked back. “See you tomorrow.” She glanced over at Dani with a nod of her head to indicate they should get going.

“Nice to meet you,” Dani replied with another bright smile before she quickened her pace to catch up with Jamie.

“Oh my god,” Dani frantically whispered as soon as they were far enough away to be out of hearing range. “I can’t believe your dad has caught me leaving your house twice now!”

Jamie glanced over at Dani with an amused grin. “I’ll admit, the timing hasn’t been great. But it’s no big deal; more awkward than anything.”

Dani huffed and shook her head, “He’s only seen me sneaking out in the morning. Do you know how bad that looks? What’s he going to think, Jamie?” She couldn’t believe the impression Jamie’s dad was going to have of her was that she was just coming over for midnight hookups. He knew nothing of their dates or all the times they’d spent hanging out _not_ having sex.

“That I must be making good money at my new job to afford a call girl that looks like you.”

Dani shot a glare over at Jamie as that was exactly the kind of thing she was worried about.

Jamie seemed to pick up on how concerned she actually was and stopped walking. She reached out to grab Dani’s arm so she would do the same. “Dani, are you actually worried about what my dad thinks? I promise you, you’re putting way more thought into this than he ever will. He’s probably forgotten about it already, to be honest.”

“Jamie,” Dani sighed as she ran a hand through her hair which she knew was probably still a bit mussed from sleep and their late-night activities. “Of course I’m worried. It’s your dad and I want him to like me.”

Dani expected some words of reassurance, a compliment or two, perhaps even a hug if Jamie was feeling bold while they were out in public. But she didn’t expect the laugh that bubbled up from Jamie. She drew her eyebrows together and waited for Jamie to fill her in on what was so amusing.

“Is it even possible for someone to not like you? It’s a serious question – have you ever met someone who didn’t just find you to be completely charming and adorable?”

Dani’s confusion and mild irritation at the unexpected reaction turned into an embarrassed blush and shy smile. “I’m sure there are plenty of people who don’t like me.”

“Like?” Jamie queried as she tugged Dani’s jacket sleeve to indicate they could continue walking.

Dani racked her brain as she tried to find an answer. It didn’t take long for her mind to settle on someone. “Eddie,” she replied softly as she focused her gaze on the sidewalk in front of her.

“Okay, well that doesn’t count. And it’s not that he doesn’t like you, but rather that he likes you too much. In a way you can’t return – through no fault of your own, I might add.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Dani agreed.

“So you admit it then? You’re too damn adorable. No one could dislike you.”

Dani smiled as she leaned closer to nudge her shoulder against Jamie’s as they walked. “I think you might be a little bit biased, but point taken.”

“If you ever want to properly come round my house, I’m sure you’d have my dad convinced you’re way too good for me in less than an hour. No pressure, just wanted to let you know you’re always welcome.”

Dani glanced over to see Jamie cautiously observing her for her reaction. They both knew the real problem with that scenario was Mikey. As much as Dani wanted to properly meet Jamie’s father, it meant being okay with Mikey knowing about their relationship as well. And Dani just wasn’t ready for that. He was a good kid, and Dani knew that, but he was still an adolescent boy who was likely to tell his friends, who, in turn, would have no qualms about spreading the gossip around school.

Jamie might not be a student anymore, but many people at Goldthorpe, students and staff alike, knew who she was. Even more concerning, if gossip about her and Jamie got around the school, then everyone would find out she was a lesbian. There might be angry calls from parents, kids being pulled out of her class, pressure put on Mr. Wingrave to fire her.

Dani took a deep breath before glancing over at Jamie with a smile. “Thank you. I think I’ll need a bit of time to work up to that. But maybe one day.”

“Yeah,” Jamie agreed with a nod as she turned her gaze forward again, “Maybe one day.”

* * *

After spending the better part of the weekend completely wrapped up in each other, Dani was hopeful that it would be enough to satisfy her yearning for Jamie at least through the week. She was confident, in fact, that the amount of time they’d spent exploring each other in her bed, in the shower, in the kitchen, and in the living room on the rare occasions they’d tried to venture outside of her bedroom, would last her until the next weekend when she could spend her time consumed by all things Jamie.

Dani made it to Tuesday before her body was once again buzzing with the need to be near Jamie. Her thoughts were constantly findings ways to twist and wind back to the brunette no matter how she tried distracting herself. Part of her hoped the honeymoon phase would quickly give way to whatever phase came next so that she could regain control of her thoughts and her near-constant physical craving for Jamie; another part of her hoped it would never end.

As lust-addled as her mind was throughout much of her days, Dani had to give herself some credit – she didn’t act on her thoughts nearly as much as she wanted to. She was aware that both she and Jamie had other commitments during the week and she’d been good about not giving in to her desire for Jamie during the week.

There were times she’d considered stopping by the hardware store after work to see if she could persuade Jamie to come over to her flat when her shift ended, knowing it wouldn’t take much convincing at all, but she didn’t. Jamie had Mikey to think about. Dani had her own lesson planning and grading to do in the evenings.

But a new routine developed where Jamie would call her in the evenings; it had started on Sunday when Dani asked Jamie to call to let her know when she arrived home safely. Even on the days Jamie’s shift at work ended well before dark, Dani still found herself worrying over whether or not she’d made it home okay; wondering if she’d had a good day or not. Without ever asking her explicitly to do so, Jamie would call every night and put her concerns to rest.

Halfway through the week, Dani realized that Jamie’s calls might be just as much for her own benefit; perhaps she too was worrying about Dani or wondering how her classes had gone, if her students had been well behaved or little terrors.

Dani was surprised by how much she was learning through these nightly calls. She was hearing about the details of Jamie’s day, of course, but she was also picking up other things too. Like the way Jamie would call a little earlier when she’d had a particularly bad day at work, as if just hearing Dani’s voice would make her day that much better. Or the way she would try a teasing comment or flirtatious joke to gauge Dani’s reaction or her mood on a particular day before pushing things further with downright dirty or sensual remarks.

She was also learning some things about herself too; like the way she’d begun to implicitly trust Jamie. She no longer became tense and asked if Mikey was around when Jamie took the conversation in a flirtatious direction; she knew that if Jamie was starting in on the dirty talk that she’d taken the time to tuck herself away somewhere private. She also noticed the way she’d started making mental note of moments throughout her day to share with Jamie later that evening.

It had been a while since she’d had someone to share the good and bad moments of her day with and she hadn’t realized just how much she missed it. Eddie had been that person for a long time, but towards the end of their relationship, he’d been so caught up in planning for the future, _their_ future, according to him, that he’d taken to asking less frequently about her day and more about how her job applications were coming, if she’d contacted the wedding venues on the list he’d sent, if she was up for looking at apartments over the upcoming weekend.

She couldn’t fault him for any of that. If she’d been able to love him the way he loved her; the way she’d tried so hard for years to love him, she was sure she would have been just as eager to plan for their future. But what she had now with Jamie, the simple check-ins at the end of a long day, the genuine curiosity about what made the day good or bad, that was what she wanted. For the time being, it was perfect. Perhaps one day she might find herself making plans for the future with Jamie; maybe she would even be the one keeping track of the to-do list of all the things they were trying to accomplish to build a life together. But it was way too early for Dani to even entertain that thought. What they had now – checking in after each day, moving along one day at a time. It was more than enough for her.

As another weekend approached, both Dani and Jamie seemed to learn their lesson from the previous week’s near-disaster and planned to spend Friday night at Dani’s place. Dani was glad that Jamie was just as eager to get her alone after five long days apart and hoped that it meant her nearly insatiable craving wasn’t as one-sided as she feared.

Dani figured she shouldn’t have been too surprised when a simple kiss hello at the door turned into frantically making out against the back of the couch, which soon led to a quick and desperate first round _on_ the couch. They managed to part long enough to order food for delivery, finding ways to occupy themselves that involved quite a bit of kissing and touching until the food arrived.

But Dani wanted the label-free _thing_ between her and Jamie to be more than just sex, no matter how much she enjoyed that part of their time together; so, after dinner, Dani talked Jamie into watching a movie with her. Jamie eventually agreed, but seemed set on doing what she could to distract Dani throughout the film. Her distraction tactics ranged from draping one arm around Dani’s shoulders and drawing slow, gentle, teasing patterns over the soft skin of her upper arm, which never failed to make Dani’s heart flutter, to leaning in and whispering comments about the movie, her lips brushing against the shell of her ear each time.

They weren’t in a theater and Jamie was free to make her commentary out loud, but Dani could tell she preferred her method of talking during the movie as it caused Dani’s breath to hitch when Jamie’s lips would briefly trail along her jaw or her neck before she pulled away. By the time the movie ended, Dani decided that was enough of _other_ activities and led a smirking Jamie to her bedroom where they remained for the rest of the evening.

On Saturday morning, Dani woke up far earlier than she would have liked given how late she and Jamie had stayed up the previous night. It took her a moment to figure out what had pulled from her peaceful slumber until the phone let out another shrill ring from the living room.

Dani considered ignoring it; obviously it wasn’t Jamie calling as she was still in bed beside her, nuzzling further into the pillow as if trying to prevent the phone from waking her the way it had Dani. The only other person who called on a regular basis was her mother and Karen would just try again at a later time if she didn’t reach her.

However, the phone continued to ring and Dani reluctantly left the warmth and comfort of her bed with a frustrated grumble as she went to get the phone before it could fully wake Jamie.

“Hello?” She answered, trying to sound more awake and less irritated than she currently was. She planned on asking whoever it was, whether it was her mother or one of her friends, if she could call them back later so she could end the call and make a quick return to her warm bed with the cozy duvet and Jamie’s quiet and steady breathing which would undoubtedly lull her back to sleep in no time.

“Danielle! Hi honey, it’s so good to hear your voice.”

Dani froze as she instantly recognized the voice. A voice she hadn’t heard in a little over six months.

“Judy?” She asked softly, her voice strained thin with disbelief. Six months without a word and now the cheerful and familiar voice was speaking to her as if no time had passed. Her muscles were still tense with shock, but a shiver ran down her spine as the cold air from the apartment reminded her she was standing in her living room without a stitch of clothing on while talking to the mother of her ex-fiancé.

Judy seemed to pick up on the incredulity in her tone and let out a sad sigh and Dani could almost picture the wistful smile that would accompany it. “I know it’s been a while. I’m sorry for not reaching out sooner, it’s just…” she trailed off, as if unsure how to finish the sentence. Or perhaps distracted by something. “But we can get into that later. I’m calling because I have a surprise for you!”

“A surprise?” Dani repeated as she glanced around for something to cover up with so she didn’t feel so exposed. She spotted the crocheted blanket she kept on the back of her couch and stretched the phone cord out enough so she could grab it and wrap it around her naked form.

“Yes, a good surprise, hopefully – I know we’re excited about it!” Judy replied and swiftly continued before Dani could question the ‘we’ in that statement. “Eddie and I are here to see you!”

If Dani had been shocked when she’d answered the call, that didn’t even begin to describe her reaction to the bombshell Judy had just dropped on her. “You’re…here?” She questioned, trying to wrap her head around what that meant. They were in England? Or maybe she’d misheard and they were simply planning a trip – one she could immediately try to talk Judy out of.

“We got in last night and took the train out to your neck of the woods early this morning. I’ve got to say, Danielle, this is a charming little town. I can see why you like it here so much.”

Dani felt her breathing becoming rapid and shallow and she forced herself to swallow and take longer, deeper breaths before she could dissolve into full-on panic. “Why…why are you here?”

“To see you, of course,” Judy said with a laugh as if Dani had just made a hilarious joke. “Your mother gave us your address ages ago and we were going to just come up to your apartment for a real surprise. But…given the time that has passed, I thought maybe it would be better to give you a little warning call first. If it’s alright with you though, we’d love to come up and see-”

“No!” Dani replied quickly. She realized how harsh her response had come out and took a deep breath to try again. “I just…my place is a mess and I just woke up. I’m not even ready for the day yet. So I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She bit down hard on her lip, hoping Judy wouldn’t press the issue.

“Oh, well…” Judy trailed off and Dani wondered if she was looking to Edmund; if he was close enough that he was able to hear the conversation or perhaps standing nearby and trying to figure out what was happening from his mother’s reactions. Her gaze darted to the window as her thoughts continued to swirl. How close were they? Were they calling from wherever they were staying? Or were they at the little red phonebooth right across the street – the one she’d be able to see from her flat if she walked over to the window? She clutched the blanket tighter around her tense body as she waited for Judy’s reply.

“Maybe we can meet you somewhere then? We’d love to see you, Dani. I’ve missed you so much. Eddie has too – and I know he has some things he’d like to apologize for.”

The change in Judy’s tone at the end of her statement – the shift from kind to scolding told Dani that Eddie was certainly within earshot. She wasn’t sure what exactly he wanted to apologize for – hopefully it was the way he’d spoken to her during their last phone call. Or perhaps it was some desperate plea for her to forgive all his faults over the years disguised as a grand apology in the hopes she would take him back.

“Uh yeah, I can meet you someplace,” Dani replied as she found herself becoming desperate to get off the phone before her anxiety had a chance to spike even further. They’d traveled all this way to visit her and she knew there was no easy way to get out of seeing them.

“That’s wonderful. Now, I don’t mean to rush you, but we are right outside your building…do you think you’d be able to meet us somewhere nearby?”

Dani squeezed her eyes shut as one of her fears was confirmed. They were close. Too close for her to have any real sense of security or time to herself to process everything. Perhaps it was better; if she had more time, she’d surely try and talk herself out of it or just worry herself even more. “Yeah, I, uh, yeah that’s fine,” she agreed. “There’s a coffeeshop down the street from my building. It has a blue awning out front. I can meet you there.”

“Great!” Judy’s chipper voice replied, “Edmund and I will head over and get a table. We’ll see you soon, honey.”

“Yeah…see you soon,” Dani swallowed down the panic that laced her words and gingerly hung up the phone. She stared at it for a long moment as if hoping it would ring again and someone would tell her it had all been some kind of joke. But it didn’t ring and the reality began to set in that Edmund and Judy O’Mara were here. _Here_ , in her town, on her street, eagerly waiting for her to join them.

“Fuck!” Dani cursed as she hurried into the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The O'Mara's have arrived. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who read, left kudos, and/or commented on the last chapter! I loved seeing your reactions to the second half of the sleepover. It seems like a lot of you really enjoyed Jamie turning Dani into her personal laundry pile and sassy Dani having something to say about it. 
> 
> I also want to give a shoutout to all the new readers who have recently started this story - thank you for putting in all that time to get caught up and I hope you continue to read/enjoy this fic! 
> 
> I feel like I'm hearing a lot about bly twitter these days (and I don't really know what's going on over there) lol but I'm still over on tumblr (Shananigans402.tumblr.com) if you want to come say hi or yell at me about things or just chat.


	25. Chapter 25

Dani raked her fingers through her hair as she glanced around her bedroom. Streaks of daylight cut through the drawn curtains, illuminating the clothes scattered across the floor and the beautiful brunette still sound asleep in her bed. Her heart clenched tightly as she took in the sight of Jamie sleeping so peacefully and Dani thought about how just a few minutes earlier she’d been looking forward to crawling back in bed with her for a lazy Saturday morning.

There wasn’t time to dwell on her disappointment over the abrupt change in plans. Not when she had two people from her past sitting in a coffee shop down the street, anxiously awaiting her arrival. She wished she had more time – time to wake Jamie and explain, time for a shower, time to make herself look presentable. However, she didn’t have the luxury of a leisurely morning, not when Judy and Eddie knew where she lived and might come by to check on her if she kept them waiting for too long.

“Jamie,” she called out, her tone firm, but not overly loud so she didn’t startle her. “Jamie, wake up,” she repeated as she began frantically moving around the room, trying to figure out the quickest way to get ready.

“It’s early,” Jamie grumbled as she shifted beneath the covers. “Come back to bed.”

Dani couldn’t help but smile at the mumbled complaint; she still found tired and grumpy Jamie entirely too cute in the mornings. However, her smile faded as she thought about why she couldn’t take Jamie up on her offer, as much as she wanted to do just that. “I’d love to, but they just showed up out of nowhere and I…I can’t…” she shook her head as she dropped the blanket that was wrapped around her so she could apply deodorant followed by her perfume. She hoped that would be enough to make up for her lack of time to shower.

Her heart stuttered with a fresh round of panic as she realized it might not be enough. She hurried over to the bed where Jamie seemed to be trying her hardest to wake up enough to figure out what was going on. A sleepy frown pulled at her lips and she blinked slowly at Dani as she approached.

“Crap, Jamie, do I…do I smell like sex?” She asked as she nervously twisted her hands together.

She saw the familiar smirk tugging at Jamie’s lips as her gaze wandered over Dani’s body. “Hmm let’s see,” she murmured, voice still thick with sleep, but with an edge of arousal to it. She shifted onto her knees and leaned closer to Dani. She nuzzled into her neck and placed a tender kiss before shifting lower and placing a trail of kisses down her stomach. “No, but give me at least ten minutes and I’ll make sure you do.” One of her hands began to trail up Dani’s inner thigh before Dani caught it and quickly stepped out of her reach.

“Jamie, no, that wasn’t an invitation,” she clarified as she began scurrying around the room to find a suitable outfit. “I have to…I have to go and…” she paused and glanced over her shoulder to see Jamie looking adorably confused. “My ex and his mom are here.”

“Here?” Jamie repeated, looking a little more alert as she cast a glance in the direction of the bedroom door.

“Not here in my apartment,” Dani clarified, although she knew she was lucky that wasn’t the case since that had been the O’Mara’s initial plan before Judy thought better of it. “But they’re here in town. They’re waiting for me at a coffeeshop down the street.”

Jamie still looked perplexed as she tracked Dani’s hasty movements around the room. “Did you know they were coming?”

Dani couldn’t help the frustrated huff that escaped her as she pulled on a clean pair of underwear. “Do you think I would have stayed up all night with you if I knew they were gonna be here?”

“Wasn’t ‘all night’,” Jamie muttered as she ran a hand over her face. “So they just dropped in unexpectedly, then? Pretty shit thing to do, if you ask me.”

“Yeah…yeah it is,” Dani agreed as she put on a bra and glanced around before grabbing her jeans from the floor. “But they’re here and they want to see me…god, Jamie, they were just going to come up. And I…I answered the phone completely naked! I mean, I’d like to think I would have put some clothes on if there had been a knock at the door. But I still would have looked…” she left the sentence unfinished as she waved a hand over herself.

“Hot?” Jamie made an attempt to fill in the blank as Dani pulled her jeans up.

“No,” Dani said with a roll of her eyes.

“Sexy?” Jamie tried again. “Beautiful?”

Dani laughed despite the anxiety that continued to pump steadily through her veins. “Like I was up all night having sex.”

“Again, it wasn’t ‘all night’,” Jamie clarified, although this time with a smug little smile on her face. “Though I do think that’s something we should work up to. Seems to be something you’re eager for, anyway.”

Dani shot her a smile that quickly disappeared as she threaded her fingers through her blonde hair and gave a nervous tug. “Jamie,” Dani drew out the name with a hint of a whine to her voice. “What am I going to do?”

Jamie finally got up from the bed and walked over to wrap her in a tight hug. Dani returned the hug while trying not to get too distracted by a very naked Jamie pressed against her.

“You’ll be alright, Poppins. You’ll go, get your coffee. Hear them out, if you want. But it doesn’t have to be more than that.” She pulled back to look at Dani, but kept her hands on her shoulders. “They’re the ones who showed up out of the blue, you don’t owe them anything. If you want to spend time with them, then spend time with them. But you can also ditch ‘em whenever you want. You don’t owe them a weekend of playing hostess…or a week? How long are they here for?”

“I don’t know,” Dani admitted, realizing she hadn’t even asked. “Crap Jamie, how long are they planning on staying?”

“It’s okay,” Jamie said as she pulled her into another hug. “Like I said, you don’t owe them anything. If they want to stay a month, they can. But you don’t owe them a second more of your time then what you want to give.”

Dani nodded as she clung on to Jamie. “Yeah…you’re right,” she admitted. “I just, I really don’t know why they’re here or want they want.”

“Do you want me to go with you?” Jamie offered as she pulled back to gauge Dani’s reaction to the suggestion.

Dani considered it for a moment. She couldn’t deny that the idea of having Jamie there to have her back was tempting. But it would also add to what was undoubtedly going to be an awkward encounter. It was her mess to sort out, not Jamie’s.

“No, I’ll be alright,” she promised, giving Jamie an appreciative smile for even offering. “But maybe…you could stay here? In case things don’t go very well and I need someone to vent to when I get back?”

“Of course,” Jamie said with a warm smile as she gently combed through Dani’s hair to sort out the tangled mess. “My shift at work doesn’t start until one so I’ll stick around until then. Should still be here when you get back unless it’s an incredibly long chat over coffee.”

“I hope not,” Dani grumbled but then leaned into the hand that was now pressed against her cheek. “And thank you.”

“Don’t have to thank me,” Jamie insisted as she leaned in for a soft kiss.

“You’re still coming back here after work, right?” Dani asked. That was the plan for the weekend they’d agreed upon, but she wanted to make sure Jamie hadn’t had a change of heart.

“Absolutely,” Jamie confirmed with a grin. “I think you’re gonna have a lot of tension that will need to be worked out and I plan on doing whatever I can to help.”

Dani shook her head but an amused smile tugged at her lips. She was sure that after whatever happened this morning she would definitely benefit from a couple of hours underneath Jamie, above Jamie, inside of Jamie.

“I have to go,” she said with a sigh as she stepped away from the embrace she wished she could stay in all day. She grabbed a shirt from the floor and glanced over at Jamie, “Make yourself at home; feel free to help yourself to anything in the kitchen. Hopefully I won’t be gone long.”

“Don’t worry about me, Poppins, I’ll be fine,” Jamie reassured her. “Honestly, I’ll probably just be in bed thinking about last night…maybe take care of myself if I get a bit too worked up.”

“Jamie!” Dani cried out as she finished tugging the shirt over her head. She could tell from the gleeful smile on Jamie’s face that she’d simply been trying to get a rise out of her. Possibly trying to ease some of her nervous energy with a teasing comment.

“Behave,” she warned with a mock stern frown.

Despite her playful scolding, Jamie’s expression only became more smug. “Whatever you say, Miss Clayton.”

Dani felt a twinge between her thighs that was certainly not welcome at the current moment. She narrowed her eyes at Jamie, letting her know she was aware of what she was doing, and ducked in for a final kiss before hurrying out of the room. She briefly stopped by the bathroom to brush her hair and teeth before hurrying out of her flat, only just remembering to grab her coat and purse as she left.

Dani wasn’t sure how much time had passed since the phone call, but she easily spotted Eddie and Judy when she entered the small coffeeshop and they didn’t appear to be too bothered by however long they’d had to wait.

Seeing them in person caused her heart rate to spike for at least the third time over the last half hour. Dani was prepared for her anxiety to wreak havoc on her emotionally and physiologically for the duration of this impromptu encounter; at least until she got some answers as to why they’d crossed an entire ocean to see her without so much as a phone call to warn of their arrival.

“Danielle!” Judy called out with a wave, even though Dani had already spotted them. She was struggling to summon the courage to move any further than the doorway.

After a deep breath in through her nose, Dani plastered on a smile that was tight and forced. She returned Judy’s wave and headed over to the small table in the corner.

Judy stood up as she approached and held her arms out for a hug. Dani hesitated for a moment before stepping into the embrace. It was just as warm and welcoming as she remembered, but she couldn’t find the same comfort in the hug that she used to. Not when Judy hadn’t spoken to her in months and then showed up outside her flat acting as if no time at all had passed.

She stepped out of Judy’s hold and faked a smile that was slightly more relaxed – despite her discomfort over the situation, she was at least relieved that Judy didn’t seem to hate her as she had feared over the last several months.

Dani glanced over to Edmund, who had also stood when she approached, and was lingering hesitantly behind his chair. As he shifted his weight from foot to foot, he looked more like the gangly, gauche boy he’d been before he hit his growth spurt his sophomore year of high school than the tall, self-assured man he’d developed into during his college years.

She figured the reemergence of his gawky posture and nervous smile had more to do with how things stood between them rather than a regression in his overall level of confidence. However, given the way he’d spoken to her during their last call and the lack of apology or follow up since then, Dani felt no need to alleviate his nerves as he stood by his chair looking uncertain.

“Hey Dani,” he greeted. For a moment, it seemed as if he was about to go in for a hug, but he must have changed his mind when he noticed Dani’s rigid posture and lack of attempt to return the gesture. He dropped his arms back to his sides and gave her a tight-lipped smile before taking his seat.

Dani took the vacant seat at the three-person table, noticing there was a mug waiting for her.

“I went ahead and ordered you a caramel latte,” Judy explained with a smile, “I know that’s your favorite.”

“Oh thanks,” Dani said as she removed her coat and twisted around to drape it over the back of the chair. She wasn’t sure if the interior of the shop was being kept at a ridiculously high temperature or if it was her own emotional turmoil causing her to feel entirely too warm. She guessed it was the latter seeing as everyone else in the shop seemed perfectly content with the temperature at which the thermostat was set.

She lifted her gaze from the mug to glance at Judy, noticing the woman looked both hopeful and nervous. She decided to take pity on her by doing her part to keep the conversation rolling.

“I actually haven’t tried their caramel latte yet,” she explained as she took hold of the mug to give her something to do with her hands besides nervously pick at her nails. “Since I’ve lived here, I’ve been drinking a lot more tea in the mornings. ‘When in Rome’, right?” She said with a light chuckle that contained as little humor as her comment.

“Oh, well I can go and get you a tea,” Judy offered, her expression turning worried. “I didn’t mean to…Things change, of course. It was rude of me to just assume.”

“No,” Dani said with a shake of her head as she realized how her comment had been misinterpreted. “I really appreciate the latte. It’s been a while since I’ve had one, so I’m looking forward to it.” She lifted the mug to her lips to sell her last statement and took a sip.

“Not bad,” she commented with a nod as she set it down. “Might even be as good as the one from Mel’s.”

Judy and Eddie both grinned at the reference to their favorite little coffeeshop back home. It was as if they’d been searching for some indication that this was still the Dani they knew and she hadn’t been replaced by an imposter who merely looked like her. Truthfully, Dani felt as if she was a different person. The memories and core features and characteristics she’d developed over time were all still there, but she’d grown and evolved so much over the half a year that she’d been away.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell Mel so you can still get good service when you’re in town,” Eddie teased.

Dani cracked a smile over the joke; they all knew Mel was notoriously fickle with customers and could turn on a lifelong customer at the drop of a hat over a perceived insult. But the joke felt like a reference to another time, another life. Dani wasn’t even sure if she would ever be back – and was surprised by how little that thought bothered her.

“Speaking of being back in town,” Judy said as she seamlessly picked up from her son’s comment. “That’s actually part of the reason we made this trip so out of the blue. The holidays are coming up, I mean, Thanksgiving is this week…and well, it just really hit me that this is the first year you won’t be joining us.”

Judy paused as her voice wavered with emotion and she glanced down for a moment before clearing her throat and then holding Dani’s gaze with a warm smile. “I know I should have reached out earlier, hun. And we…we’ll talk about that, but I want you to know you’re always welcome in my house. We’d love to have you for the holidays. You can even fly back with us for Thanksgiving if you want to.”

Dani felt her head spin with the unexpected direction the conversation had taken. She still had so many questions about why Judy and Eddie were here, in Goldthorpe, sitting across from her in a coffeeshop like it was one year earlier and they were all back in Iowa for an uneventful Saturday breakfast. But the thought that Judy wasn’t mad at her, wanted her back in her life even, made something in Dani’s chest crack and a rush of relief spilled through, filling her with a feeling of warmth.

Tears pricked at the back of her eyes, but she blinked them away. She was still trying her best to fit in as an American in Northern England and bawling in a coffeeshop certainly wasn’t the best way to do that. “Thank you,” she said softly as she returned Judy’s kind gaze. “I really appreciate that…but it’s, uh, kind of late notice. I don’t have time off work or anything.”

The excuse was true enough, but it wasn’t the whole truth. Even if she was able to negotiate the time off for the trip home, she was positive that she wouldn’t want to. She had to admit, she’d worried about being so far from home for Thanksgiving in a country where the holiday wasn’t even celebrated. It probably wasn’t going to be easy and the holiday would be sadder and lonelier than previous ones, but it would certainly be better than staying with the O’Mara’s after not speaking with them for months.

“Oh,” Judy’s face crumpled in disappointment but she covered it with a nod. “Of course. I’m sorry, we should have…I should have reached out so much sooner, Danielle.”

Dani couldn’t resist the urge to get some answers now that she had the chance. She knew it might hurt, she might not be able to keep the tears back, but she wasn’t sure she’d have the courage to ask again.

“Why didn’t you?” The question was small and Dani knew it conveyed how hurt she felt over not hearing from Judy. She knew she played a role in all of it, a large role, and Judy had every right to blame her for things.

Judy took a breath and looked over at Eddie, who still looked awkward and uncomfortable as he shifted in his chair, his gaze fixed on his coffee cup. She returned her gaze to Dani as her grip tightened on her own mug.

“I was just so surprised by it all at first. I was sad to see you leave so suddenly and a bit…angry that you hadn’t come to me, or to Edmund, to talk to us before you left. I think you know that I’ve considered you a daughter for a while now and when you just disappeared…”

Judy paused as her eyes filled with unshed tears and she gently shook her head. “I was so hurt, Danielle. It took me a long time, too long, to realize that you must have been hurting even more. And then Eddie told me about the conversation you had, and well, I’m afraid I didn’t know how to process that either.”

Dani cut her gaze over to Eddie who was still staring down at his mug. Judy’s comment was vague, but she figured it had to mean that Eddie had told his mother that she was a lesbian. She swallowed nervously as she returned her attention to Judy and waited for her to continue.

“I think we were both in shock about that. It was hard for me to accept that it was true because you and Eddie had been together for so long. I didn’t want to accept it at first, if I’m being honest. But then I got to thinking about you all the way over here. That brave little girl who had to deal with so much at such a young age. You never let it stop you from being so kind and generous and caring. And I knew then that I let you down by not being there when you needed me. I let my own anger and hurt stop me from reaching out when you were off on your biggest adventure probably more alone and afraid than you’ve ever been.”

Judy paused for a moment and shook her head, “I know I should have called or sent a letter or _something_ before we just showed up here like this. I nearly called at least a dozen times over the past few weeks, but I was just so worried you wouldn’t want to talk to me. It had been so long since we last spoke and a letter or a phone call just seemed so…it didn’t seem like enough. You deserved a proper apology. It’s a bit selfish for us to just show up like this, I know, but I thought at the very least if I could see you and know you’re doing okay, even if you didn’t want to talk with us or forgive me…well, that would still be worth the trip.”

Dani couldn’t stop the tears that trickled down her cheeks. So much of what Judy was saying were things she’d wanted to hear, but hadn’t let herself hope to ever hear from the woman who had always treated her with more kindness, respect, and compassion than her own mother. The words cut through to the hurt she’d kept buried during her transition to her new life and dragged the lingering feelings of abandonment and rejection to the surface.

“I missed you,” Dani admitted quietly. “Both of you,” she amended as she briefly glanced over at Eddie. “I know I shouldn’t have left so suddenly…but I was just afraid if I talked to you, I would lose the courage to leave, and I _needed_ to leave. I had to figure out who I was away from the comfort of home where everything was so…planned out.”

Judy nodded as she listened along. She dabbed at her eyes with a napkin while reaching her other hand over to cover one of Dani’s, which was still gripping her latte.

“I don’t regret coming here,” Dani explained as she lifted her chin to show her resolve. “During the time I’ve been here, I’ve found the things I was searching for – more, even. But I could have handled things better. Especially with what I told Edmund over the phone. I should have…well, I should have probably realized it a long time ago and told you properly in person. Long before the engagement and everything else.”

Eddie let out a wistful sigh as he looked at Dani, no longer staring into the depths of his nearly empty mug. “That would have been nice,” he admitted, a faint bitter edge to his words.

After a quick glare from his mother, Edmund straightened his posture and continued to meet Dani’s gaze. “But I get that it must have been hard, and I…I’m sorry if I ever made you feel pressured into dating me or saying yes when I proposed. I just, I really loved you Dani,” he paused to swallow and Dani could tell that past tense version of ‘love’ perhaps wasn’t the correct verb tense. “I think I was a little blinded by my own feelings and I never noticed that you didn’t feel the same.”

Dani was already shaking her head by the time he finished his apology. “No, you never made me feel pressured,” she replied, although she knew that wasn’t entirely true. She’d felt the weight of his expectations weighing heavily on her throughout their adolescence and young adulthood and she’d been afraid of losing the entire O’Mara family if she hadn’t agreed to be Eddie’s girlfriend or his fiancée. However, that had more to do with her own fear than anything he’d done on his end to make her feel that she had to follow through with his expectations.

“I just really hoped that if I went along with everything we talked about, all the plans we had in high school and then in college…I just thought it might all fall into place. One day I’d wake up and it would all make sense and I wouldn’t have to try so hard anymore; I could just love you the way you loved me and be the perfect girlfriend or, uh, or wife,” she glanced over at Judy who was still tearing up, “Be the perfect daughter-in-law.”

“Oh honey,” Judy said before Eddie even had a chance to respond. “You already are perfect just the way you are. Nothing could change that. I’m so sorry if I made you feel like you let me down.”

“And I’m sorry too,” Edmund chimed in, following up his mother’s apology. “For not noticing and for, uh…” he trailed off as he fiddled with a napkin on the table, his gaze focused on the paper he was twisting and tearing, “For what I said on the phone. I’m sorry for that too.”

“Thank you,” Dani said quietly. She could tell they were attracting some attention from other customers. Sporadic, concerned glances were being sent their way, likely due to the fact she and Judy both had tears in their eyes and were doing their best to dab them away with napkins.

“Would you excuse me for a second?” She asked and got a nod from the other two at the table before she stood from the table and made her way to the bathroom. Once there, Dani took some time to focus on her breathing. She was completely overwhelmed by the conversation she hadn’t expected to have at all, let alone in the coffeeshop down the street from her flat.

And yet, she couldn’t help but feel immense relief and happiness that Judy and Eddie were here and they managed to have a somewhat productive and healing conversation. After spending so much time hoping that Judy or Eddie would reach out, they were here in person and apologizing for the hurt they’d caused.

She still had questions she wanted to ask, but she decided to leave the raw and emotional part of the conversation behind for now and try to take things in a lighter direction to spare them all a full emotional breakdown in public. After clearing the evidence of her tears and taking a final, deep breath, Dani returned to the table.

“We went ahead and got another round of beverages,” Judy explained with a friendly smile, her tears having been dried as well. “The other ones were getting a bit cold.”

“Thanks,” Dani said as she slid into her seat, “Let me pay you back for this.”

“Oh, don’t be silly,” Judy waved her hand with a chuckle. “Besides, there will be a chance for you to make it up later, I’m sure. Eddie and I are staying through Monday – and if you change your mind about Thanksgiving, I’m sure I could get you on our flight, but I was hoping if you have some time this weekend, you could show us around a little bit.”

Although the thought of spending Thanksgiving with them wasn’t as awful as it had seemed earlier, Dani knew it was still out of the question given the late notice and the fact she had to work. The other request though…that was manageable.

“Sure, I’d be happy to,” she agreed as her lips turned up in a friendly smile. It would cut into her weekend time with Jamie, but if Judy and Eddie put in the effort and money to travel all this way to make things right, the least she could do was play tour guide for a couple days. “Is there anywhere in particular you want to go or things you want to see?”

“I think we’re counting on you to tell us what there is to do around here,” Eddie said with a playful smile that reminded Dani so much of when they were kids and she couldn’t help but return it. She couldn’t blame them for not having a list of things they wanted to see in Goldthorpe. In fact, she was sure they had never heard of South Yorkshire before making their travel arrangements.

“Oh, but your mother will have my head if I don’t stop by to see your place so I can tell her all about it,” Judy said with a chuckle. “Maybe we can stop by when we’re done here. It’s just down the block, right? It looked like a very cute building.”

Dani felt the panic that had long since faded return with a vengeance at the thought. “My place?” she asked, stalling for time as she tried to think of a plausible excuse to turn down the very reasonable request. “Yeah, um, I would definitely love to give you a tour. But today’s probably not the best time. It’s just that, uh…”

“You better not use that ‘it’s a mess’ excuse,” Eddie chided with a teasing smile as he glanced over at his mom, “Dani’s definition of a mess is a few books out of order and maybe, _maybe_ , a couple of dishes in the sink.”

Judy chuckled at that, “You know we don’t care if it’s not perfectly in order. We just want to see where you’re living. It’s so exciting that you have your own apartment here.”

Dani forced a smile to try and hide her nerves. However, all of her nervous tells were there – rapidly bouncing leg, tongue trapped hard between her teeth, hands twisting in her lap as she resisted the urge to bite her nails. “Yeah, it is exciting. And I’d love for you to see it. Tomorrow, maybe?”

“Is everything okay, Dani?”

Dani turned her attention to Eddie who looked concerned as he monitored her reaction. He might not have picked up on everything over the years, but he at least knew when she was uncomfortable.

“I’m fine,” she insisted with another forced smile. Her mind grabbed hold of another possible way to avoid catastrophe – Jamie would be leaving the flat to go to work in just a few hours. “We can go this afternoon if you want. We can go and see a few things around town, maybe get some lunch, and then stop by my place after that.”

“Okay…” Judy said with a nod and a soft smile that didn’t mask the confusion in her gaze. “If you don’t want us to see your place, we don’t have to stop by later. I know you might still be upset and…hurt over everything that happened. I didn’t mean to try and intrude on your private space.”

The sadness and concern creeping into Judy’s gaze made Dani’s heart clench and she quickly shook her head. “No, that’s not it,” she insisted before realizing her response made it seem that there was, in fact, some reason why she was putting it off. She tried to come up with some other explanation that would appease their concern.

“Is…is there someone there?” Eddie asked, his voice sounding more surprised than upset.

Dani’s breath caught in her throat as she looked over to see Eddie watching her with a confused furrow of his eyebrows. She knew she could lie, but there were two problems with that. The first was that she still didn’t have a plausible excuse for putting off the visit, and the second was that her startled silence and the ensuing pause had virtually confirmed what Eddie had suggested.

She drew in a breath as she ran a hand through her hair, trying to quell the nervous fluttering in her stomach. “Um, yeah. It’s just a, uh, friend. She stopped by this morning, but she’ll…she’ll be leaving this afternoon to go to work.”

“Dani, honey,” Judy said in her patient yet firm ‘mom’ voice, “I understand it must be a little…uncomfortable, but you could have just told us that your girlfriend was over.”

Dani felt her face flush and she wasn’t entirely certain if it was because she was having this conversation with Eddie and Judy or if it was over the use of the label ‘girlfriend’ applied to Jamie. She was tempted to correct Judy, but she figured it would seem worse if they thought it was just a casual hookup she’d left hanging around her apartment.

“I, uh, guess it’s just pretty awkward,” Dani admitted with a sheepish smile. “Although it’s probably more awkward for you two to find out like this instead of me saying something earlier.”

“Nonsense,” Judy said with a dismissive wave of her hand, “We’ve had enough tense moments to last us the trip already. I say we focus on the positives, like your new girlfriend.” Her smile brightened, like she was a teenage girl about to divulge some exciting gossip at a sleepover. “I’d love to meet her – what do you say? Apartment tour and getting to meet the lovely young woman who has charmed our Dani?”

Dani’s eyes widened at the thought. She had thought finding out there was someone waiting for her back at her place would dissuade them from visiting her apartment. “You…you want to meet her?” She questioned, not sure what she was supposed to say in response to that.

“Is that not okay?” Judy asked, her eager expression turning uncertain. “I’m sorry if that was too much, I just…I’m not sure what’s okay or not okay. I thought it might be nice to meet her…”

Dani felt her heart ache at the earnest look on Judy’s face. She could tell how hard she was trying to make things right; to make up for everything that happened over the last few months. She found herself answering before she even had a chance to properly consider all of the ramifications of agreeing.

“No, yes, of course,” she said with a nod, “That’s, that would be…good.” She smiled and hoped she didn’t look quite as terrified as she felt.

Eddie had been silently observing the exchange, sipping his coffee or fiddling with his napkin to give him something to do while his mom and Dani talked. “Yeah, I’d like to meet her,” he agreed as he sat up even straighter in his chair.

“Okay,” Dani said with a nod as she subtly drew in a deep breath. It seemed there wasn’t an easy way out of the current situation, so all she could do was see it through and hope for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apartment tour! Should be fun.
> 
> I know people might not like my interpretation of Judy and Eddie, feel free to yell at me in the comments if that's the case. I also know some of you are wanting more angst. All I'll say about that is...patience. 
> 
> Shoutout to paperkites3 - happy birthday! (belated birthday at this point in your timezone, but still counts) 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who read/left kudos/commented on the last chapter! I really appreciate the love this fic has gotten; your comments on here and messages on tumblr mean so much to me. To those of you who found this story because of twitter - thank you for checking this fic out, I'm so honored/glad you're here! And to the people talking about this story on twitter, thank you all as well! I don't follow what's going on over there but it's still very much appreciated :)


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was dying over the comments on the last chapter. I don't think I've ever seen people so worried about Jamie (potentially) not wearing any clothes.

After a bit of pleasant and polite small talk while they finished their beverages, the trio bundled up for the short walk back to Dani’s flat. Dani led the way, flanked on either side by Judy and Eddie. She couldn’t help but compare it to someone who was a flight risk being escorted by guards, but it felt like an oddly fitting comparison because she wished for any excuse to flee and avoid whatever was about to unfold in her apartment.

“I didn’t get to compliment you earlier,” Eddie said, interrupting her from her thoughts as he nudged her shoulder with his arm while they walked.

“Huh?” Dani questioned as she glanced over at him. She wasn’t entirely certain where this particular train of thought was headed and she hoped it wasn’t anywhere that would make things even more uncomfortable.

“Seems your taste in music has improved. A year ago, I don’t think you could have named even a single song by The Clash,” Eddie said with an amused shake of his head.

Dani continued to look at him in utter confusion. She wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but she was fairly certain she still couldn’t name a single song by The Clash off the top of her head.

“Your shirt,” he explained, his own expression turning confused at the blank stare he was getting from Dani.

Dani glanced down to the black t-shirt peeking out from under her winter coat. It only took her a moment to piece everything together; she was wearing a shirt proudly advertising the London Calling tour, but it wasn’t _her_ shirt. She must have thrown it on in her haste to leave for coffee and hadn’t taken the time to realize the soft, comfortable, and amazing-smelling shirt was Jamie’s and not hers.

“Oh, yeah,” she said with a chuckle to satisfy Eddie’s growing puzzlement. Internally, she began to panic as she remembered that Jamie’s plan for the morning had been to stay in bed – and Dani had a feeling that plan didn’t involve clothes.

It was too late to back out now though, especially since they were already halfway up the front walk to her building. With a deep breath, Dani pulled open the front door and led her visitors inside.

The walk from the lobby of the building to her flat on the second floor felt like an eternity; although that may have been because Dani was moving at a snail’s pace to try and stall for something, _anything_ that might prevent the train wreck that was about to occur. Maybe Judy and Eddie would change their minds, or a surprise medical emergency would divert them to a hospital, or perhaps the fire alarm would go off and they would have to vacate the building.

However, no convenient, last-minute excuses popped up before she was standing outside her front door with her visitors waiting patiently behind her.

“Well, this is it,” Dani said as she forced as much cheer into her voice as possible in order to mask her terror. She turned the key in the lock and then pushed the door open. Before she even stepped over the threshold, she was already calling out into the flat.

“Jamie, I’m back! And I have Eddie and Judy with me!” She hoped that would be enough to get Jamie to throw on some clothes, at the very least.

Her heart pounded heavily in her chest as she lingered in the doorway, partially blocking the others from entering and ready to hastily slam the door shut at a moment’s notice if needed.

“Your place is so cute!” Judy enthused as she squeezed through the small space between Dani and the door in order to properly enter her place.

Edmund, fortunately, remained in the hallway and Dani figured it was because he wasn’t quite as eager as his mother for this little tour.

Dani’s hand was clenched nervously by her side as her gaze remained fixed on the bedroom. Her nails bit into her palm as she resisted the urge to bring her hand to her mouth to engage in one of her least favorite nervous habits. Suddenly, Jamie appeared in the doorway and Dani felt a bit of tension melt away at the sight of an appropriately dressed and put-together Jamie.

“Hey,” Jamie greeted as she cautiously made her way towards the living room. Her eyebrows pulled together as she looked between Judy, who was already making her way around the small living space and Eddie, who was hovering awkwardly behind Dani. Her gaze finally landed on Dani, an unspoken question in her eyes that seemed to be gauging if she was alright.

Dani smiled to reassure Jamie that she wasn’t under any sort of duress. She was anxious, to be sure, but she didn’t want Jamie to think she was giving this impromptu tour against her will. She stepped further into the apartment and made her way over to Jamie, not sure if it was to put Jamie at ease or herself.

“This is Jamie,” she explained as she turned to face the others. Eddie had now fully entered the apartment and was closing the door behind him as Judy made her way over to the couple.

“Hi Jamie, I’m Judy. Eddie’s mom,” Judy introduced with a warm smile. “I’m sorry for barging in like this, but when Dani mentioned she had a girlfriend…well, I was just so excited to meet you! I’m afraid I may have put Dani a little on the spot.”

Dani felt Jamie’s gaze cut over to her and an embarrassed blush covered her cheeks. That wasn’t exactly how the conversation had played out and Dani worried that it made it seem like she’d been eagerly throwing the label around and bragging about Jamie over coffee. She didn’t have to look over to know the smirk she found so irritating yet alluring was fixed on Jamie’s face and she knew she’d be hearing more about the ‘girlfriend’ thing when they were alone.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you,” Jamie finally replied in a friendly tone and Dani could hear the lingering trace of amusement in her voice.

“Oh, I love your accent,” Judy gushed and Dani couldn’t help but smile at how genuinely excited Judy was to meet Jamie.

“Edmund O’Mara,” Eddie introduced himself as he stepped forward and held out his hand. Dani was surprised by the formal introduction, especially his straight and rigid posture as he maintained eye contact with Jamie. It only took a moment for her to realize he was attempting to exhibit alpha male behavior by holding his ground to seem mildly intimidating in the presence of Dani’s new partner.

Dani glanced over to see Jamie quirk an eyebrow as she appeared to arrive at the same conclusion about his behavior. She stepped forward to shake his outstretched hand, head held high even though she was several inches shorter than him.

“Jamie Taylor,” she introduced over a firm handshake. As her hand fell to her side, Dani noticed a taunting glint in her eye, “Nice to meet you, Eddie.”

Dani could tell the use of the nickname was a challenge of sorts; it was what his mother had called him even though he’d opted for the more formal introduction and it was Jamie’s playful way of mocking his formality to see if he would say anything about it.

Eddie gave a tight, but not entirely unfriendly, smile. He took a step back and looked away from Jamie to glance around the apartment, “It’s, uh, a nice place, Dani.”

“Thanks,” Dani replied as she ran a hand through her hair. Her nerves were still there but they were starting to fade as everything seemed to be going much smoother than expected. She glanced over at Jamie, who seemed to be looking to her for how to proceed with this unusual and unexpected situation they’d found themselves in.

She moved closer and took Jamie’s hand in her own, giving it an appreciative squeeze for going along with everything.

“It really is so darling,” Judy agreed. Dani knew that ‘darling’ was Judy-speak for small but cute, but she couldn’t find fault with the fitting assessment. “Can we have the full tour?”

“Uh,” Dani felt herself pale as she thought about the bedroom and the state she and Jamie had left it in the night before. Although neither Judy nor Eddie were ignorant to the types of activities that couples participated in behind closed doors, she wasn’t too keen on shoving the evidence of her sex life in their faces.

“I think we can do a tour,” Jamie replied as she gave Dani’s hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

Dani searched Jamie’s face and found an easygoing smile that matched the calm reflected in her eyes. “Yeah, okay,” she agreed and looked over to Judy and Eddie with a smile.

“So, this is the main area, as I’m sure you’ve noticed,” she commented with a playful smile. “Living room, kitchen, dining area,” she said with a wave of her hand as she gestured to the various areas all contained within the main living space. “The bathroom is over here,” she continued as she led the way down the hall, Jamie’s hand still clasped firmly in her own. “And this is the bedroom.”

She took a breath before pushing the door open and stepping inside. It only took a moment to realize the mess she’d been expecting simply wasn’t there. The bed was made, the clothes that had been scattered across the floor were folded and piled on the dresser, and everything else was in order.

“Oh, how lovely, you get a lot of natural light in this room,” Judy commented as she stepped into the bedroom and looked around. Eddie remained in the doorway, gaze flitting around nervously as if afraid to step into Dani’s personal space. Or perhaps, he felt like an intruder in a space where she now shared quite a bit of her time with Jamie.

Dani leaned closer to Jamie, gently nudging her shoulder. “You cleaned,” she whispered with a happy smile.

Jamie gave her a shy smile in return as she lifted a shoulder in a dismissive shrug. “It’s no big deal. I was gonna do the other rooms, but you came back earlier than I expected.”

Dani’s grin grew brighter at the thought of Jamie cleaning her flat for her while she was out. “You were going to clean my place?” She whispered, the affection evident in both her voice and the gaze she fixed on Jamie.

“Stop looking at me like that,” Jamie mumbled, although she didn’t seem to really mind the attention from the pleased smile quirking up the corners of her lips. “Nice shirt, by the way.”

Dani felt her cheeks lightly flush as her attention was drawn yet again to the shirt that wasn’t her own. She noticed that Jamie had changed into a spare shirt she’d brought in her overnight bag for their weekend together and couldn’t help feel the slightest bit disappointed that Jamie hadn’t chosen to borrow one of her shirts to wear.

“Look at this beautiful plant,” Judy commented as she walked over to the planter in the corner near the window.

Dani tore her gaze away from Jamie to focus on Judy, “Oh, yeah. It’s an anthurium.” The familiar blush that still appeared whenever she thought about the plant spread across her cheeks. “Jamie gave it to me,” she added as she glanced over to see Jamie’s uncharacteristic shyness was now replaced with a smug smile.

“Least I could do after such an amazing date,” Jamie replied as she dropped Dani’s hand in order to wrap her arm around her waist and pull her close.

“Well, aren’t you thoughtful?” Judy mused with a bright smile as she looked at Jamie. “Your parents must have raised you right.”

Dani felt Jamie tense due to her discomfort around the topic of family. She quickly stepped in even though she knew Jamie was likely fine with just letting the comment slide. “I think that’s all Jamie,” she explained as she leaned even further into her one-armed embrace, “She’s just considerate like that…and she knows plants.”

“I’m learning, anyway,” Jamie amended.

“Do you live here too?” Eddie asked; the first comment he’d directed at Jamie since his introduction.

Dani was surprised by the question and was going to answer, but decided to let Jamie give her own response since the question had been directed at her.

“No, it’s Dani’s place,” Jamie replied as she held Edmund’s gaze. “She’s just nice enough to let me stop by sometimes. It’s close to where I work, so I appreciate her hospitality.”

Dani smiled at Jamie when she glanced over at her, even if the second part of her response made her feel slightly like a prostitute given the type of ‘hospitality’ she often showed Jamie when she came over.

“That sounds like Dani,” Judy agreed as she looked fondly at the blonde, “Even as a kid she was so considerate. Always the first one to lend a helping hand.”

Dani felt heat spread through her entire body at Judy’s choice of words. Her full-body flush wasn’t helped by the way Jamie subtly tickled her side using the hand still on her hip. It took nearly everything she had not to squirm or outwardly react to the ticklish fingers digging gently into her side.

“Still does,” Jamie replied, her tone serious so as not to let on to the underlying meaning that she and Dani were reading into the comment. Dani would have sent her a glare for her comment if she wasn’t afraid it would only make the double entendre obvious to the others in the room.

Realizing the others were probably expecting her to reply to their comments, Dani cleared her throat and fixed Judy with a bashful smile, “I do what I can.”

The hand teasingly tickling her side indicated that Jamie was very amused by her response. A quick look over at the brunette indicated she was just barely holding back the comment she wanted to make.

“What time do you have to go to work?” Dani asked, hoping to distract Jamie before she said whatever remark was on her mind.

“Not for a couple hours yet,” Jamie replied, her smirk suggesting she knew Dani was just trying to distract her from what she was thinking.

“Where do you work?” Eddie asked from where he was now trying to adopt a more casual, though somewhat intimidating, pose leaning against the doorjamb with his arms crossed.

“Hardware store a few blocks over,” Jamie replied, sparing a glance over at Edmund as she answered.

“Jamie’s in charge of the garden department,” Dani added with a proud smile on her face.

“Only in charge of it because I’m the one who knows the inventory,” Jamie said with a chuckle, although she didn’t seem to mind the way Dani was fawning over her from the way she subtly pulled her closer.

Judy observed them for a moment with a small smile on her face. “We should get out of your hair. I’m sure you have plans for the day and we don’t want to intrude.”

“Oh,” Dani said as she tore her gaze from Jamie to look at Judy. “Well, I’ll be free this afternoon while Jamie’s at work if you want to meet up. I can show you around town a bit.”

“That sounds perfect,” Judy agreed as she began moving towards the hallway. “I’ll leave the address for the inn we’re staying at.”

Dani nodded as she stepped away from Jamie to follow the others back towards the door. She showed Judy to the pad of paper and pen she kept by the phone so she could leave their contact information. “I’ll stop by around one,” she knew that was when Jamie started her shift at work and she wasn’t planning on leaving her flat again until Jamie was gone.

“One sounds great,” Judy confirmed as she finished writing the information for the inn. She straightened up and looked at Dani for a moment before pulling her into a hug, “It’s so good to see you again, Dani. You look as beautiful as ever and so happy.”

Dani was surprised by the hug but quickly melted into it as she returned the affectionate gesture. “I am happy,” she replied as she cut her gaze over to where Jamie was standing off to the side. “And I’m glad you decided to visit.” She held back the part about how some warning would have been nice, knowing it would only disrupt the healing that was taking place between them.

Judy pulled back and smiled warmly at Dani before turning her attention to Jamie. “And you,” she said with a friendly tone as she moved over to where Jamie was standing, “You are just lovely and I’m so glad I got a chance to meet you. I hope we get to see more of you before we leave.”

Jamie’s eyes widened, clearly surprised by the genial goodbye. Her gaze darted over to Dani as if unsure how to respond to the latter part of Judy’s statement. “It was good to meet you too and yeah, we’ll uh, we’ll see if the timing works out, I guess.”

Dani bit her lip to keep from laughing at how bewildered Jamie was by Judy’s motherly affection. She could tell that Judy was holding herself back from pulling Jamie into a hug, likely because of how stiff Jamie’s posture was as she floundered for a proper response.

“If I don’t get a chance to see you again while we’re here, you continue taking good care of our Dani, okay?” Judy said as she made her way towards the door.

“I will,” Jamie promised with so much sincerity in her voice it brought a smile to Dani’s lips.

“Nice to meet you,” Eddie said to Jamie before he turned his gaze to Dani, “And see you later, Dani.”

Dani nodded and tried not to laugh at how awkward Edmund looked yet again as he kept his distance from both women before following his mother into the hall. When the door closed, Dani made her way over and locked it before turning to look at Jamie to gauge her reaction to the bizarre series of events.

“Well, that was…interesting,” Jamie said as she searched Dani’s face to see how she felt about the unexpected visitors.

“Yeah,” Dani felt her remaining tension dissipate and huffed out a chuckle as she pushed away from the door. “Sorry to spring that on you without warning.”

“Not a problem,” Jamie brushed off the apology as she reached out to grasp her wrist when Dani was within arm’s reach and tugged her closer. “How are you feeling about it?”

Dani considered the question as she allowed Jamie to pull her closer. Her hands came up to rest on Jamie’s shoulders while Jamie wrapped her arms around Dani’s waist. “I feel…surprisingly okay, I think. I mean, I’m still trying to process the fact that they came all the way to England to see me…but coffee was good. Judy seemed genuinely apologetic about not reaching out to me sooner and Eddie…well, he didn’t say as much. But he did apologize for what he said during our last phone call and I appreciated that.”

Jamie nodded along with the assessment of the situation, “Judy seems nice. She seems to care about you quite a bit.”

“Yeah, she does. I’m kinda glad she’s here, it’s nice to see her,” Dani admitted as she pressed closer to Jamie, resting her head on her shoulder as she allowed the stress of the morning to fade away.

“And Eddie…well, he’s something,” Jamie said as she stroked her hands over Dani’s lower back.

“Something?” Dani asked with an amused smile, encouraging Jamie to expand upon that thought.

“For a moment there, I thought he was about to challenge me to a pissing contest,” Jamie smirked at her own comment, “Though I reckon I could’ve beat him.”

A laugh escaped Dani at the vulgar idiom. “Yeah, he did seem a bit…odd,” she conceded as she reflected on his behavior. “And I think you definitely could have beat him.”

Jamie grinned and gave a grateful squeeze of Dani’s hips for the vote of confidence. “Don’t think there’s anything too odd about it. The two of you were engaged. He’s just sizing up the new person in your life; trying to prove he was once a worthy contender for your affection.”

Dani hummed as she nuzzled further into Jamie’s neck. “I guess that makes sense,” she agreed. “After all, we were still together a little over six months ago. I’m honestly surprised he behaved as well as he did.”

“Me too,” Jamie agreed. “Can’t say I would have blamed him if he’d been an angry, petulant child after losing someone like you.”

Dani smiled, although there was a hint of sadness as she reflected on the broken engagement. She pulled back to meet Jamie’s gaze, “He didn’t lose me, exactly.”

Jamie shrugged, “Seemed a bit kinder than saying ‘after his fiancée fled the country because she was desperate to find a woman to give her a proper shag’.”

“Jamie!” Dani protested with a laugh as she shoved her shoulder, which was ineffective at moving her since Jamie’s arms were still wrapped around her waist. “That wasn’t why I left.”

“But it’s kinda true though,” Jamie protested with a smirk as she pulled her even closer. “Good thing you found an incredibly charming and fit _girlfriend_ to make you come as many times as you can stand.”

Dani felt her face heat up as Jamie finally brought the conversation around to the label that had been thrown out by Judy earlier. She pulled her lower lip between her teeth to try and hide her sheepish smile at being called out. If Jamie wanted to tease her about it, then two could play that game.

“I did? Who is she?”

Jamie’s eyebrows lifted at the response; her hands recovered from the surprise first as she began tickling Dani’s sides as a grin spread across her face. “Oh, you want to play, do you?”

“No!” Dani shrieked as she tried to twist away from Jamie’s tickling fingers. “Truce!” She called out as she tried the opposite tactic of pressing herself flush against Jamie instead of trying to pull away.

“Truce,” Jamie agreed as she wrapped her arms around Dani’s lower back to hold her close. “Though I’d still like to know when I became your girlfriend – not that I’m complaining.”

Dani felt the embarrassment settle back in as she hid her face in Jamie’s neck. “They were asking all these questions and they wanted to come see my place…and Eddie kind of deduced that I had someone here. Then Judy was saying she wanted to meet my girlfriend and I figured correcting her to say we weren’t technically official would just be more awkward than going along with her assumption.”

“I see,” Jamie said as she ran one hand gently up and down Dani’s spine. “I have to agree, ‘my girlfriend’s back at my place’ has a better ring to it than ‘the hot girl I regularly bang is still in my flat’.”

“Hot girl, huh?” Dani questioned as she pulled back to look at Jamie with a smirk, “I think someone’s ego is getting a little out of control.”

“Side effect of getting to spend so much time with someone as gorgeous as yourself, I suppose,” Jamie said with a smile that indicated she knew just how charming she was.

Dani rolled her eyes but a smile spread across her face regardless, especially because of the way Jamie was tugging her hips closer to be flush against her own.

“Now, about that ‘girlfriend’ thing,” Jamie drawled as she tried to get the conversation back on track.

Dani hesitated at the thought of officially labeling their relationship. She couldn’t deny that she’d enjoyed referring to Jamie as her girlfriend – she knew she wanted that to be more than just something they said to appease Judy. However, she couldn’t ignore the nagging concern that if she and Jamie were official, it meant they needed to start telling people, like her friends and Jamie’s family.

“I think that’s a conversation to have at a time when I don’t feel like we were backed into it by my ex-fiancé’s mother,” Dani explained, relieved she’d found an excuse to defer the relationship talk that at least had a kernel of truth to it. She honestly wasn’t all that keen on having ‘the talk’ just because Judy had labeled them and she hadn’t wanted to correct her.

A flicker of disappointment flashed across Jamie’s face, but she nodded. “Another time, then.”

Dani was relieved that Jamie didn’t push the topic and decided to both distract her from her disappointment and reward her for how wonderful she’d been earlier when Judy and Eddie were there.

She leaned in to press an appreciative kiss to Jamie’s lips, not at all surprised when only moments later, Jamie’s fingers were sliding through her hair, holding her close as she deepened the kiss. Dani gently teased Jamie’s tongue with her own and slipped her hands under the brunette’s shirt to rest on the warm, smooth skin of her waist.

When they pulled apart for air, Dani rested her forehead against Jamie’s. “Did you shower yet?”

Jamie gently shook her head as she stole another quick kiss. “Just threw on some clothes to tidy up the place a bit.”

“Which I still appreciate,” Dani murmured with an affectionate smile as slid her hands higher up Jamie’s back, causing her shirt to ride up. “What would you say to joining me in the shower?”

She felt Jamie smirk against her lips and interpreted it as a favorable reaction to the suggestion – not that she’d had any doubts about Jamie’s enthusiasm over the offer. They’d shared a couple of showers over the past few weeks and the experience had always been quite enjoyable for them both.

“If I ever say no to that, you need to have me medically examined because something is seriously wrong,” Jamie joked as she began walking backwards towards the bathroom, using her hold on Dani’s head to gently guide her back with her while peppering kisses along her mouth and jawline.

Dani eagerly let herself be led to the bathroom, helping to navigate so Jamie didn’t stumble over anything on the way. Once they were safely inside, clothes were quickly removed as their mouths met for heated kisses; the anticipation of sharing a shower stoking the flames of their rapidly building arousal.

Dani broke away to start the shower and then returned her attention to Jamie as she finished removing her own underwear under Jamie’s hungry gaze. “You’re looking at me like you’ve never seen me naked before,” she teased, even though she was sure she was looking at Jamie much the same as the brunette pushed her panties down to pool around her feet.

“Well, it’s been a couple hours, so just appreciating the view again,” Jamie explained before moving forward to kiss Dani once more.

Dani allowed the kiss to continue until Jamie’s hands began to roam her naked body, at which point she pulled away with a smirk and stepped into the shower. If she let Jamie get too carried away, they’d end up having their way with each other against the wall or the sink while the hot water ran out.

Jamie followed her into the shower and Dani felt a shiver run up her spine at the feel of Jamie’s front pressing flush up against her back. Slender arms snaked around her waist and Dani quickly caught hold of the wandering hands that were making their way towards her breasts.

“First we shower and then we can have fun,” Dani instructed as she turned in Jamie’s arms so she could tilt her head back under the spray of the shower head.

“Seems counterproductive if you ask me,” Jamie replied as her hands caressed over Dani’s back, “Getting clean before doing the dirty.”

Dani smiled at the comment because Jamie did have a point; however, the plumbing at her flat left a lot to be desired so some things simply had to be prioritized. She leaned away from the spray and wiped the water from her eyes, immediately catching sight of the lustful look in Jamie’s eyes.

“Do you have any idea how hot you look? You really expect me to be able to keep my hands to myself when you look like that in the shower?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Dani protested with a joyful laugh as she carefully shifted out of Jamie’s embrace so she could escape to the other end of the shower to grab her shampoo. “I’m sure you’ll look exactly the same – hotter, actually.”

“Doubtful,” Jamie shot back as she turned to face Dani and angled her head back under the shower head.

Dani slowly worked the shampoo into her hair, her attention focused on the sight of Jamie’s brown curls becoming saturated by the spray as rivulets of water traveled down her shoulders, over her collarbone, and down over the flat expanse of her abdomen.

“Hmm maybe I was wrong, you okay, Poppins?”

Dani snapped her gaze up to see Jamie watching her with a smirk. She realized her hands had stilled in her hair while she was transfixed watching the water slide down Jamie’s flawless form.

“Yeah…fine,” she replied with a forced smile as she continued to work her hair into a lather. Her breath caught as Jamie leaned close; for a moment, she thought she was moving in to initiate something, but then an arm reached behind her to grab the shampoo and Jamie straightened up with a smirk.

“You still feeling good about your decision to shower first and have fun later?”

“Yes,” Dani huffed as she shooed Jamie out of the way, carefully trading places so she could wash the shampoo out of her hair.

“Okay, just checking,” Jamie responded, and Dani could hear the smirk in her voice even though she couldn’t see her as she had her eyes tightly shut while washing the remaining shampoo out of her hair.

They carried on with their showers, although Dani was only too aware of the ways in which Jamie kept doing little things to work her up. Like the way she would press entirely too close while passing by to switch places, or her ‘friendly’ offer to help Dani wash herself. An offer which Dani not only accepted, but then proceeded to return the favor.

When Dani finally determined they were clean enough for the day, Jamie wasted no time in pressing her against the side wall of the shower, her mouth eagerly meeting Dani’s in a passionate kiss. Dani returned the kiss as her hands sought purchase on Jamie’s hips.

Jamie’s hands were far from idle as her left hand wrapped around one of Dani’s breasts, her thumb stroking over her nipple as her right hand began to work its way between her legs.

“No,” Dani murmured as she used her hold on Jamie to push her back a step. Jamie’s hands stilled immediately as her confused, and slightly concerned, gaze searched Dani’s face.

“I want to take care of you,” Dani explained as she switched their positions so that she was the one pressing Jamie against the wall. “Since you were so patient with everything today…and because you cleaned my bedroom.”

Jamie chuckled softly as she leaned her head back against the wall. “I think there’s plenty of time for us both to be ‘taken care of’,” she said as her fingers trailed teasingly along Dani’s back. “But if you want to start things off, I’m not gonna stop you.”

Dani was glad she wasn’t going to get any complaints because she knew they had a limited amount of time until the shower started getting cold and she really wanted to get Jamie off before they were startled by a cold spray of water hitting their sides and traveling down their legs.

She ducked her head to start kissing along the tender skin of Jamie’s neck, which now smelled of her own soap and shampoo, but with the faint and very unique Jamie smell lingering underneath. Her hand moved between Jamie’s legs and she couldn’t but smirk against her neck at the feel of her folds already slick with arousal.

“Don’t tease,” Jamie warned as she brought one hand up to thread through blonde hair to keep Dani’s lips to her neck.

Her smirk widened as she slid a finger slowly inside Jamie; she knew her pace was bordering on teasing, but it was worth it to hear the frustrated groan that escaped Jamie even as her hand tightened its hold on her hair at the sensation of Dani’s finger inside her.

Knowing that the time pressure was a real concern, she added a second finger once she determined Jamie was ready for it and quickly stepped up her pace. Dani was rewarded with gasps and whimpers that she could both hear and feel as her lips traversed the soft and sensitive expanse of Jamie’s neck.

“Dani,” Jamie moaned as she used the hand not tangled in blonde hair to drag her short nails down her back, “Fuck, faster.”

Dani obeyed the request and began thrusting her fingers faster, curling with each withdraw and causing Jamie to let out a louder moan. Dani was grateful that the shower helped to drown out Jamie’s sounds of pleasure; she hadn’t received any complaints from her neighbors yet, but she wasn’t planning on breaking that lucky streak today.

“How is that?” She asked as she nipped at Jamie’s pulse point. She already knew the answer from Jamie’s enthusiastic reaction, but liked hearing it anyway.

“Good,” Jamie murmured as her hips bucked at a particularly rough thrust, “So good,” she amended.

Dani grinned and returned her attention to kissing Jamie’s neck when the hand in her hair tightened and gently pulled her back so Jamie could see her. She felt her mouth go dry as she took in the overwhelmingly attractive sight of Jamie with her head tipped back against the shower wall, her wet hair mussed from her own fingers running through it, and her eyes dark with lust.

“I think I’ll just about come on the spot if you go down on me right now.”

Dani swallowed at the comment and her eyes instinctively widened as she processed what Jamie was suggesting. It wasn’t a command, nor was it really a request. It was simply a statement; which Dani knew she was free to ignore if she so chose. However, the answering throb between her own thighs was the only response she needed to guide her decision.

Dani dropped to her knees, not caring how eager the rushed action looked. She also didn’t care about the discomfort of the position, knowing she wouldn’t be there for long if what Jamie had said was true.

“Fuck, Poppins,” Jamie groaned as she watched Dani on her knees before her.

In their limited experience with shower sex, they had yet to try this position and Dani found herself eager to do something new with Jamie. Then again, it seemed like they found something new to test out nearly every time they were together, which likely spoke to both their relative inexperience and excitement to try new things with one another.

Dani was pleased by the reaction she’d already managed to elicit and didn’t waste any more time as she leaned in and began lavishing Jamie’s clit with attention from her tongue while her fingers continued to thrust and curl inside her.

Jamie released a throaty moan as she lifted a leg to drape over Dani’s shoulder while she used the hand not holding Dani’s hair in a vise grip to try and support herself against the slick shower wall.

Dani brought her free hand up to hold Jamie’s hip to keep her steady. She glanced up to hold her gaze, finding that the way Jamie was watching her with a look of lust mixed with awe was sending her own arousal through the roof.

As predicted, it didn’t take much longer for Jamie to reach her peak with Dani on her knees before her and she came with a cry of Dani’s name while her fingers twisted in blonde hair to press the head buried between her thighs even closer.

When Jamie finally released her hold on her and sank heavily against the wall, Dani gently set the leg over her shoulder back down before cautiously getting to her feet. Her own legs were somewhat unsteady in her current state and she was more than ready to get some relief of her own.

“We should get out,” Dani advised as she began to reach for the tap.

Jamie caught her hand and used it to pull her closer, “You haven’t had your turn yet.”

Dani couldn’t resist the urge to brush her lips against Jamie’s in a brief kiss. “Water’s going to get cold,” she explained.

“It’s still warm,” Jamie countered as her hand slid between Dani’s legs. “And it doesn’t seem like you’re gonna take long at all.”

Dani bucked into the touch, further illustrating Jamie’s assertion. She knew she was incredibly worked up and Jamie had the evidence of it all over her fingers as she teasingly stroked through her folds.

“If it’s the water you’re worried about,” Jamie continued as she shifted their position so she could back Dani toward the wall opposite the shower head, removing her from the reach of the spray of the water, which Jamie’s body now shielded her from.

Dani gasped as her back pressed against the cool tile wall. “Cold,” she exclaimed as she instantly leaned away from the wall and closer to Jamie.

“You and the cold,” Jamie muttered, though her expression contained no real irritation. “You haven’t been in England long enough.” She turned Dani around so she was facing the wall she’d just been pressed against.

Dani couldn’t repress her soft moan at the feel of lips moving along her shoulder, leaving a trail of tender kisses. She couldn’t see Jamie now that she was facing the wall, but she could feel one of her hands sliding up her stomach towards her breast while the other stroked gently over her hip and thigh.

“Think you’ll be okay to put your hands on the cold wall, princess?”

Dani knew Jamie was teasing her and she shot her a glare over her shoulder. Nevertheless, she did as requested and leaned forward far enough to press her hands flat against the tile wall.

“Good girl,” Jamie murmured in her ear, drawing a gasp from Dani as well as a shiver of desire as Jamie’s hand slipped between her legs. Only a moment later, she felt two slender fingers entering her from behind and her eyes nearly rolled back in her head at the feeling of Jamie finally being inside her.

“You’re so ready for me,” Jamie observed as her fingers easily slid in and out of Dani’s wet core. “Aren’t you glad you didn’t have to wait to get to the bedroom?”

Dani emitted a moan that she hoped also worked as a response because she wasn’t sure she could form an appropriately snarky response with the way Jamie’s fingers were thrusting inside her.

It seemed Jamie didn’t mind having her reduced to mostly nonverbal responses as she palmed Dani’s breast using her free hand. “Can’t believe we haven’t tried this position in the shower yet.”

Dani hummed in agreement as she pressed her hands harder against the wall while she arched further into Jamie’s touch. She wasn’t entirely sure if Jamie actually expected conversation or if she was simply enjoying the needy state she’d put Dani in with all of her teasing and dirty talk.

“Though I do miss seeing your gorgeous face,” Jamie mused as she continued to roughly thrust into her while the fingers of other hand tugged at Dani’s nipple. “That is a downside to this, I suppose.”

Dani huffed out a chuckle; she knew the comment wasn’t meant to be a joke, but she found the mere notion that Jamie expected a response given how close she was to the edge amusing in itself. “Jamie,” she moaned as she looked behind her at the woman who was driving her absolutely crazy.

She was surprised to see Jamie didn’t have her usual smirk. In fact, she looked far too gone with her own lust as she watched Dani to seem even the least bit smug.

Jamie moved the hand wrapped around Dani’s breast to slide down her stomach before settling between her thighs.

When Dani felt two fingers insistently circling her clit she let out a cry and dropped her head; her forehead pressing heavily into one of the hands helping to support herself against the wall.

She felt lips against her shoulder but could barely register that over everything else Jamie was doing to her. Dani knew she was close from the way her legs began to tremble and her hands pressed harder against the wall; Jamie held her up as best she could given that both of her hands were busy working Dani ever closer to her climax.

Suddenly, she felt teeth sinking into the junction between her shoulder and neck and the shock of the action combined with the very pleasurable effect it caused was enough to push her over the edge. Dani came with a loud cry, hoping desperately that her neighbors were out for the day, or at least, very far away from any walls shared with her bathroom.

Jamie’s fingers worked her through her orgasm until Dani’s legs nearly buckled from under her, at which point Jamie withdrew her hands to wrap firmly around her waist and pull her into her arms.

Dani leaned into her embrace, but from her new position closer to Jamie she could feel the spray of the shower head behind them spurting cold water in her direction.

“It’s cold!” Dani yelped as she attempted to shield herself even further behind Jamie.

Jamie chuckled as she freed a hand to reach over, leaning into the steam of water with a grumbled curse in order to turn off the tap.

“You were just standing there…it was so cold,” Dani said as she tried to figure out why Jamie hadn’t said anything earlier when the cold water had to have been hitting her lower back and legs. Dani’s shower wasn’t tiny, but it certainly wasn’t big enough that they both could have escaped the spray.

“I was a little focused on other things,” Jamie replied with a smirk as she drew the shower curtain back and began to step out of the shower while still using one arm to help support Dani.

“You could have…said something…turned it off,” Dani mumbled as she followed Jamie out of the shower. She felt a gnawing feeling of guilt settle in her stomach that Jamie had to endure the freezing water and she hadn’t even noticed.

“Honestly, Poppins,” Jamie said as she grabbed them each a towel and handed one to Dani. “I’m not complaining. What just happened was hot enough to keep me plenty warm.”

Dani shook her head at the cheesy comment but leaned in to kiss Jamie before she focused her attention on drying off. “How long do you have until you have to go to work?”

“Don’t know,” Jamie answered and Dani realized it was a silly question because neither of them had been keeping track of time while in the bathroom. “But if I still have some time, do you want to continue this in the bedroom?”

Dani drew her lower lip between her teeth as she eagerly nodded, not having to think twice about the offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think anyone was predicting shower sex (or any smut at all) for this chapter, but you know what - they're still in that honeymoon phase, people. With the O'Maras potentially cutting into their weekend time together, they're gonna take it when and where they can get it.
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who read, left kudos on, or commented on the last chapter. A big thank you to everyone who is sending lovely messages and keeping me entertained over on tumblr as well! And to everyone on twitter whose messages I don't see - a huge shoutout to you also! Every single person reading this story, whether or not you comment or message about it, thank you, seriously. I love each and every one of you!
> 
> I think we have about nine chapters left, give or take a couple depending on how the writing goes. I mentioned on tumblr that I plan on doing a oneshot collection that takes place in this universe after the story ends. If you have any prompts for story events you'd like to see from Jamie's POV, oneshots for events set after the main story ends, or events I didn't cover in the main story you'd like to see, let me know! Feel free to make requests in the comments section or over on tumblr. I just love this little universe too much to let it go completely after the main storyline wraps up :)


	27. Chapter 27

After walking Jamie to work, Dani made her way over to the inn where the O’Mara’s were staying. Despite having most of her fears assuaged during their chat over coffee, Dani noticed a nagging sense of concern. She was still waiting for the other shoe to drop; for Judy to beg her to take her son back or for Eddie’s anger and frustration to return and escalate into another argument.

With these worries still lingering at the back of her mind, Dani covered her uncertainty with a bright smile when she saw Eddie and Judy waiting for her in the sitting room of the inn. She clung desperately to the hope that they weren’t harboring any ulterior motives; that they really wanted to smooth things over and repair the rift in their relationship just as much as she did.

A walking tour of the town seemed like the easiest way to fill the afternoon, so Dani led her visitors along the main streets of downtown Goldthorpe. She walked them past the school where she worked, taking them for a quick walk around the well-landscaped grounds, and continued on to other points of interest in town.

As they walked by the hardware store, it took all the self-control Dani had not to go in just to see Jamie. Simply knowing she was nearby felt like a magnetic pull that Dani was barely able to resist. Judy seemed to pick up on the source of her distracted demeanor as she questioned if it was the hardware store where Jamie worked. Rather than provide verbal confirmation, Dani nodded and ducked her head to hide her shy smile, prompting Judy to give her a knowing grin as she affectionately squeezed her arm.

The trio stopped at an Indian restaurant for dinner; before they left, Dani ordered a curry dish to-go so she could bring it back to her flat for Jamie, who was only just finishing her shift. If Judy or Eddie thought it was odd she was ordering more food to take home with her, or if they pieced together that it meant Jamie would be going back to Dani’s for the evening, they didn’t address it. They parted ways with friendly smiles and promises to call in the morning to make plans for Sunday.

Dani caught Jamie up on the events of the day over dinner, or rather, dinner for Jamie and a cup of tea, made by Jamie, for Dani. After they cleared the dishes and settled onto the couch to continue their conversation, Dani hesitantly broached the topic that had been on her mind all evening.

“I know tomorrow’s your day off, and there are probably lots of things you would rather do than spend the day with my ex-fiancé and his mother…” she paused when she saw Jamie’s eyebrows raise as she caught on to where this request was headed. “But I was kind of hoping you might consider it? It’s not the way we planned on spending our Sunday, I know, but at least we’d get to spend time together.”

Jamie’s hesitation hung heavily over the room and Dani couldn’t blame her for being reluctant to spend her day off with Eddie and Judy.

“It’s just, it would mean a lot to me. To have you there. Not only because you actually know the area way better than I do, but because if you’re not there I’m just going to be distracted the whole day thinking about you. Thinking about how much I miss you.”

Jamie’s reluctant expression faded into an affectionate grin as she rolled her eyes. “That’s not fair, you know. How can I say no when you’re so damn cute?” She reached over to take hold of Dani’s arm and tugged her closer until she was curled up against Jamie’s side.

“You can say no if you want,” Dani offered. Although she wanted Jamie to say yes, she didn’t want her to feel obligated to help out since it was such a peculiar situation she hadn’t asked to be a part of. “I promise I won’t be upset if you say no.”

“I can say no, huh?” Jamie questioned as she brushed a strand of blonde hair out of Dani’s face and tucked it behind her ear. “Is that why you’re giving me puppy dog eyes and pouting?”

“I’m not pouting!” Dani protested, even though she knew she might have been trying to play on Jamie’s sympathy the slightest bit to get her to agree.

“Sure you’re not,” Jamie teased before she leaned in to kiss the pout away from Dani’s lips. “Fine, I’ll go,” she conceded when she finally pulled back. “Partly to make you happy but mostly because I know I’ll spend the day thinking about you anyway. Might as well tag along so at least I get to see you.”

Dani’s radiant smile was enough to erase the last remaining bits of apprehension from Jamie’s face as she leaned in for another kiss.

It wasn’t long before the kiss escalated into something deeper and hungrier and Dani led Jamie to her bedroom to enthusiastically reward her for her patience and willingness to put up with the O’Mara’s while they were in town.

The next morning, Dani discovered that her method of reward was an even more powerful motivator than she’d initially expected when Jamie readily helped her plan the day’s activities over breakfast without complaint. Jamie’s knowledge of the area proved very helpful as they mapped out a plan that was sure to impress their visitors.

At Jamie’s suggestion, they all caught the train to a town up north where they spent the early afternoon wandering the lively village and enjoying lunch at a charming café. The latter part of the day was spent touring a nearby castle, which was largely in ruins, but enchanting nevertheless.

Throughout the day, Dani found herself reaching for Jamie, only to stop at the last minute when she remembered they were in public. She settled for trying to communicate her appreciation through the smiles and looks she cast in Jamie’s direction. It seemed to work as her elated grins frequently caused Jamie to wink and glance away, a proud smirk lingering on her lips.

They returned to Goldthorpe for dinner, which Judy insisted was her treat. She and Eddie were planning on heading back to London early the next morning to spend the day partaking in some of the typical tourist attractions before catching their flight back home. Part of Dani was sad that their visit was nearly over; however, a larger part of her was just relieved that everything had gone so well.

The heavy weight that had pressed down on Dani every time she thought of Eddie and Judy over the last several months had lifted over the course of the last two days and she was lighter and more carefree than she’d felt in a long time. The wine and easy chatter over dinner only added to her good spirits as the group took their time to enjoy dessert and after-dinner drinks.

“You know, I’m not surprised you’ve done so well out here on your own,” Eddie mused as he looked at Dani with a hint of pride in his eyes. “You always found a way to do the things you set your mind to. Like acing Mr. Kramer’s honors chemistry class even though he failed basically everyone. You’ve always been stubborn, but in the good way.”

“I think we call that determined,” Jamie pointed out as she lifted her glass to her lips.

Eddie smiled good-naturedly at the comment and nodded, “Yeah, determined,” he agreed. “I remember when we were in sixth grade, Dani wouldn’t stop asking me what my favorite number was. I said I didn’t have one, but that wasn’t acceptable to her. She kept asking, insisting, that I had to have one – and that there had to be a good reason behind the one I chose.”

“I stand corrected,” Jamie said as she set her glass back on the table, “We just call that annoying.”

“Hey!” Dani protested as she shoved Jamie’s arm. It was about as much physical contact as they could get away with in a crowded restaurant and the playful shove caused Jamie to send a smirk in her direction.

Edmund and Judy both laughed at the joke before he continued with his story. “Anyway, I finally decided to just pick a damn number to get her to leave me alone. I spent at least a week really thinking about different numbers before I made a decision and approached her on the playground the next day to tell her that I picked a favorite number.”

“What was it?” Jamie asked and Dani took a moment to reflect on how easily Eddie and Jamie were making conversation. Despite the tense introductions the previous day, they actually seemed to be getting along. Dani knew Jamie wouldn’t care at all about being friendly to Eddie if not for her; and yet, she had given up a good bit of her weekend to join Dani in entertaining the visitors from out-of-town. That alone made Dani’s heart swell with gratitude and she wished she could hold Jamie’s hand or affectionately squeeze her thigh to let her know how much she appreciated her effort.

“I picked five,” Eddie explained, smile still firmly in place as he recounted the story. “I said it was because it’s the number of people in my family – my parents, my brothers, and me. And because it’s the number of players on a basketball team allowed on the court at a time. It seemed like a good answer to me, but Dani didn’t approve.”

“Favorite numbers have to be approved?” Jamie asked as she glanced over at Dani with an amused smile.

“She said mine was, and I quote, ‘dumb’,” Eddie said as he put air quotes around the word. “When I asked why, she said it was because I didn’t include her in my family, so my favorite number should be six.”

Dani felt a twinge of sadness as she reflected on the memory. She remembered how sure she was at that age that she was meant to be part of the O’Mara family; the fact she’d been born a Clayton was simply a mistake. At the time, she wasn’t even thinking about joining the O’Mara clan through marriage, she just felt like she was already one of them due to her close friendship with Edmund.

The wistful smile on Eddie’s face as he finished the story indicated that he was likely also reminiscing over their shared past and the time of youthful innocence.

Judy spoke up to break the silence and slight tension that settled over the table. “She’s right, you were dumb not to include her. Dani has always been welcome in our family,” she added as she gave Dani a warm smile.

Dani returned the smile and tried to add some levity to the conversation by glancing over to Jamie. “What’s your favorite number?”

“Oh, so it’s my turn to be judged, is it?” Jamie quirked an eyebrow at Dani, but the smile playing on her lips told Dani she was all too happy to indulge her. “Can’t say I’ve given it much thought, but I’m gonna go with three.”

“Three,” Dani repeated as she tilted her head to consider the response. “Why three?”

Jamie shrugged, “Just like the look of it, I suppose. Especially when people draw it with the little flat line on top.”

“That’s how I write it,” Dani commented with an amused glint in her eye.

“I know,” Jamie said with a nod, “Probably would’ve left you if you didn’t.”

The remark drew a laugh from Dani as she tried to picture Jamie deciding she was done with her over something so insignificant.

“If you approve of her favorite number with that explanation, I’m going to be so mad,” Eddie teased as he drew Dani’s attention away from Jamie’s captivating gaze.

“No, I don’t approve of it,” Dani said as she glanced back at Jamie with a mock apologetic expression, “Sorry.”

“Well, how ‘bout the fact that the third of October was the first time I thought I might have a real chance with you. Can that be a good enough reason to have three be my favorite number?”

Dani furrowed her brow in concentration as she tried to think of what happened on October third. “The pub?” She asked as realization dawned on her.

Jamie nodded, but didn’t elaborate. Dani, meanwhile, wanted to be a little annoyed that Jamie considered that to be the day she thought she had a real shot when Dani had been trying so hard to convince her that she couldn’t be more than friends with Jamie. However, she found she really couldn’t blame Jamie for finding hope that day seeing as she ended up going out on a date with her only a month later.

“Well, our first date was November fourth. Shouldn’t that be more meaningful to you? Why isn’t your favorite number four?” Dani asked with a teasing edge to her question since she wasn’t really that concerned by what number Jamie chose.

“Don’t much like the look of fours. They’re pretty boring. Threes are much nicer.”

Dani shook her head at the explanation, but the wide smile on her face indicated she quite enjoyed the response.

“What about you then?” Jamie turned the question around on her, “Since you’re so set on judging everyone else on favorite numbers, what’s yours?”

“Here we go,” Eddie commented under his breath.

Dani shot him a look before she straightened up in her chair. Her answer to the question hadn’t changed since the sixth grade and she was prepared to deliver it in much the same way she was sure she’d told Eddie all those years ago. “Two, four, and sixteen.”

Jamie’s eyebrows lifted as she looked from Eddie’s amused shake of his head back to Dani’s resolute expression. “Alright, for now I’ll ignore the fact that you gave multiple answers when the question begs a singular response, and instead I’ll just ask why you chose those numbers?”

“I’m glad you asked,” Dani answered with a grin that suggested Jamie might regret asking by the time she finished her explanation. “My birthday is February fourth, so 2 and 4, and 16 was always my lucky number. But the best part of these particular numbers is how connected they are. Four to the second power is sixteen and two to the fourth power is also sixteen. Pretty cool, right?”

Jamie stared at Dani for a moment before turning her gaze to Eddie, “Is that the same answer she gave you when you were kids?”

Eddie nodded, “Yeah, pretty much word-for-word. At least, that’s how I remember it.”

Jamie pursed her lips as she considered that, finally returning her attention to Dani who was still expectantly waiting for a response. “So you’ve always been a huge nerd then?”

Dani’s jaw dropped open in a gasp and she reached over to playfully shove an impishly smirking Jamie yet again. “You’re just jealous you didn’t have as good of an answer. You have to admit, the exponent thing is mind-blowing.”

“Not as mind-blowing as the realization my girlfriend sat around factoring exponents into choosing a favorite number at age _eleven_.”

Dani took a sip of her wine as Jamie teased her, unable to ignore the way her heart fluttered as Jamie so casually used the term ‘girlfriend’. It was for show since they were with the O’Maras, but Dani knew Jamie would be just as happy to use that label when they were behind closed doors too.

Dani leaned closer with a roguish smile, “Hmm ‘factoring’…that’s another math term.”

Jamie appeared caught off-guard by the almost sensual way Dani said the words in her attempt to play along with the teasing. Her gaze dropped to Dani’s full, red wine-stained lips and lingered for a moment before she shook her head with a chuckle. “Never knew you were so into teaching maths. You should have gone for Ms. Moore’s job. God only knows the celebration the students – and staff – at Goldthorpe would throw if she finally retired.”

“Oh, do you know a lot of the teachers over at Dani’s school?”

Dani quickly snapped her attention over to where Judy was looking at Jamie with an expression of polite interest. There was nothing accusatory about the question; no indication that she suspected how Dani and Jamie had actually met. It made Dani nervous all the same as she looked over to Jamie who, fortunately, seemed to be masking any concern she might have quite well. Or perhaps she wasn’t bothered by the question to begin with.

“Used to go there,” Jamie explained; she caught sight of Dani’s nervous expression and cleared her throat before continuing. “Went there a while back, but I still know most of the faculty.”

“Oh, right,” Judy answered with a nod, “You’re from the area so of course you would have gone there. Well, I’m sure Dani’s appreciated all the insight you could give her about the school. How to deal with the troublemakers, students and teachers alike.” Judy chuckled at her own joke as she looked over to Dani.

Dani joined in with her laughter and relaxed into her chair as she realized there wasn’t going to be an interrogation as to when exactly Jamie had attended the school. Even if Judy were to ask, Dani figured neither she nor Jamie were opposed to stretching the truth and making it seem like a few years, rather than a few weeks, since Jamie had been a student at the school.

“Have you had a lot of problem students this year?” Eddie asked as he leaned forward, intrigued by the prospect of entertaining stories of badly-behaved kids.

“A few,” Dani admitted as she considered the question. “At the beginning of the year a few boys in my class were bullying another student – but I put an end to that. I think everyone’s been a little too afraid to try anything in my classroom after that. Then there were a few of the older boys, not my students, who were caught saying rather…inappropriate things about me. Fortunately, they were put in their place, both formally by the head teacher and informally by a kind student trying to defend my honor.”

She resisted the urge to look over at Jamie, but knew she would either be trying to hide her scowl at the reminder of the boys, or trying to hide a smirk at the memory of standing up for Dani…or perhaps the memory of the phone call later that night.

“Sounds like it’s the boys acting up,” Judy observed with a playful glance over at Eddie. “Can’t say that I’m too surprised after raising three sons. They’re always up to some kind of trouble.”

“The girls can cause their own trouble too,” Dani pointed out. “Caught a couple of the older ones cutting class to smoke one time. One of them was so bold and just…annoying, honestly. She thought she was really clever too – very smug and cocky. Her friend, Gemma, was almost as bad.”

Dani bit back a smirk and maintained a neutral expression at the surprised laugh that escaped Jamie at the misdirect. Eddie and Judy chimed in with chuckles of their own, even though they weren’t in on the joke.

“She sounds like a handful,” Jamie observed, “I hope you were able to put her in her place.”

Dani resisted the urge to respond with anything flirtatious; they were already walking a dangerous line with Eddie and Judy at the table. “I was able to sort it out,” she replied, averting her gaze from the heated look Jamie was giving her. A look that suggested they’d be following up on this conversation later. Her thighs clenched at the thought and she knew she needed to take a moment to calm her racing thoughts.

“I’m just going to stop by the restroom before we leave,” she explained as she cast a quick questioning glance over to Jamie to make sure she was okay with her stepping away. She waited until she received a curt nod in reply to her unspoken question before she got up from the table.

After taking a couple of minutes to compose herself in the restroom, Dani stepped back into the main part of the restaurant to rejoin the others. She had only made it a few steps down the hall when her gaze settled on two familiar figures and she stopped dead in her tracks as her blood ran cold with shock.

Hannah and Owen. Only a matter of feet away from where she stood frozen in place. The couple lingered near the doorway to the restaurant, waiting for the hostess to return to show them to a table. Dani was stunned by the stroke of incredible bad luck of ending up at the same restaurant as her friends. Then a realization that was perhaps two hours too late dawned on her – Owen had been the one to tell her about this restaurant; one of his favorites, in fact. He’d even recommended going on Sunday evenings as that was when the chef prepared the more experimental, but often delicious, daily specials.

The odds of this encounter were, perhaps, greater than a random coincidence and Dani wished she’d taken the time to think all of this through before suggesting the restaurant. Her panicked gaze darted around as she tried to figure out how to handle this situation. The interior of the restaurant was too small to avoid being seen by her friends no matter where they ended up being seated. Even though her own dinner companions were getting ready to leave, there was no way she could make it back to the table and out of the restaurant without drawing the attention of Owen and Hannah.

A chaotic storm of possible solutions swirled through Dani’s mind, but each one was more ridiculous and unfeasible than the last. As much as she wanted to wait until they were seated and then sneak out the front door, she refused to entertain the thought for long. At best, she would escape undetected by Hannah and Owen, but it would still leave her to explain her sudden departure to Judy, Eddie, and Jamie.

The only semi-helpful thought that entered her mind was to take control of the situation and come up with a semi-plausible explanation before they had a chance to draw their own conclusions about why she and Jamie were together.

“Hannah, Owen,” Dani called out as she adopted a believably surprised expression and walked over to them.

“Dani!” Owen replied with a broad smile, which paired well with Hannah’s more reserved, but equally friendly smile. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“Yeah, I decided to check it out after your glowing recommendation – figured if it could impress someone who can cook like you, it had to be worth trying.”

“You flatter me,” Owen said as he pressed a hand to his chest and bowed his head.

“Are you here by yourself?” Hannah asked as she fixed Dani with a look laced with concern. “You’re welcome to join us, if you’d like.”

Dani smiled at the offer, especially since her friends were obviously out on a date. “No, I actually have a few visitors from back home, well, from Iowa, anyway,” she amended her explanation since Iowa didn’t really feel like her home anymore. England was her home. This town was her home. She hesitated before gesturing over to the table where the others sat, still engaged in casual conversation.

Her breath caught nervously in her throat as she watched Hannah and Owen glance in the direction she indicated. She noticed the way Hannah’s eyebrows drew together as her head subtly tilted to the side. Owen’s eyes widened in both surprise and recognition as he looked over at the table.

“Is that Jamie Taylor?” Hannah was the first to speak as she returned her attention to Dani.

“Yeah,” Dani replied as she tried desperately to hide any sign of her nerves. She briefly flirted with the idea of just coming clean to Hannah and Owen, but the cold grip of panic dissuaded her before she could summon the courage. “We ran into her on the way here and I invited her to join us for dinner. I…I met her a few weeks ago at the hardware store where she works and we’ve kind of become friends, I guess.” She let out a chuckle that she hoped came across as casual as she lifted a shoulder in a shrug.

Dani knew she needed to do something more to sell her act of being ignorant about Jamie’s very recent connection to Goldthorpe Academy. “H-how do you know Jamie?” She asked as she feigned a look of confusion.

Hannah and Owen exchanged a glance; it was only brief, but it still caused Dani’s stomach to twist unpleasantly as she tried to determine what it meant.

“Jamie’s a student at Goldthorpe,” Owen said as his expression turned hesitant, “Or _was_ a student perhaps?”

“Was a student,” Hannah confirmed. “She left, oh, a month ago, maybe? Her brother, Mikey, used to wait for her in the library after school. He stopped by last week for a class assignment and caught me up on what’s been happening with him. Darling boy, that one.” She tilted her head again as she looked at Dani, “He’s one of yours, isn’t he?”

Dani nodded to confirm the question since it seemed Hannah was already aware of the answer. “Yeah, Mikey, he’s great,” Dani said with a smile. “I think…I mean, uh, Jamie mentioned that her brother goes to Goldthorpe. I guess I just hadn’t pieced it together that Mikey is her brother. Small world, I guess. We haven’t been friends for very long, so I guess it just hasn’t come up.”

She immediately began to second-guess how she’d navigated that particular situation. She could have just as easily claimed to already know Mikey was Jamie’s brother. However, before she could worry over it too much, she was distracted by Owen’s smile.

“Well, I’m glad you’ve made another friend here. Jamie’s great. She at least always got my puns even if she didn’t find them particularly amusing, which is more than I can say for many of the students. Dare I say that this friendship seems Taylor-made.”

“Oh Owen, that one was particularly weak,” Hannah chided as she laid a hand on Owen’s arm.

Dani felt a genuine smile form at the playful affection between her friends. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the hostess returning to the front of the restaurant. “I’ll let you two get back to your plans for the evening, but it was so nice to run into you.”

“You too, dear. We’ll see you tomorrow?” Hannah inquired with a warm smile

“Yep, I’ll see you at lunch. Or…dinner,” Dani corrected and playfully shook her head, “Two days with other Americans and I’m slipping back into my bad habits.”

Her friends chuckled and bid her goodbye before going to the hostess stand. Dani returned to her table to friendly smiles, but a hint of concern in Jamie’s expression.

“Everything alright?”

Dani wasn’t sure if Jamie had seen her talking with Hannah and Owen, but decided it was best to just brush aside the question. She didn’t want to discuss the encounter with Jamie either at the table or back at her apartment; she knew it would likely upset Jamie to hear that she’d claimed the two of them were just friends.

“Yep, everything’s great,” she replied and looked to the others. “Are we ready to head out?”

The O’Mara’s nodded and everyone gathered their things and geared up for the cold, late November evening before heading outside. Dani’s concern over her encounter with Hannah and Owen faded to the back of her mind as she realized it was time for goodbyes.

Dani was closest to Eddie so she turned to him first as Judy focused in on Jamie.

“It was good to see you,” Dani said as she looked up at her oldest friend.

“You too and sorry again for the unexpected visit,” he said with a chuckle as he raised a hand to push up his glasses. “And I also want to apologize again for that phone call…I know I really crossed a line.”

It was at least the third or fourth time Edmund had apologized over the span of two days, but Dani appreciated the gesture nonetheless. She knew he wasn’t looking for her to absolve his guilt, he just wanted it out there to make sure she was aware of how badly he felt about it.

“Thank you for the apology,” she replied with a soft smile. “Don’t be afraid to call to check in though. It was nice catching up. I’ve missed talking to you and hearing about what’s going on in your life.”

“I missed that too,” Eddie agreed and seemed relieved that she suggested keeping in touch. “And you can feel free to call me too, if you want. I’m glad you’re doing well here. You seem…really happy.”

“I am.” Dani knew it was hard for Eddie to admit that; hard for him to accept that Dani was happier living a life in a foreign country with a new girlfriend than she’d ever been in Iowa with him.

He nodded and then shifted uncertainly as they tried to figure out how to draw the goodbye to a close. “Do you want to do the super-secret best friend handshake?”

An excited laugh bubbled from Dani at the reminder of the handshake they’d developed when they were eight. It was a far better alternative than an awkward hug so she eagerly nodded and performed the silly handshake with Eddie, smiling over the memories of a simpler time in her life.

Dani turned to say goodbye to Judy next, only to see the older O’Mara was still talking with Jamie. A few more words were exchanged before Judy brought Jamie into a tight hug. She tried to gauge Jamie’s reaction even though she couldn’t see her face; she noticed the way her body initially tensed before she relaxed into the embrace and returned the hug.

A feeling of warmth and joy bloomed in Dani’s chest and spread throughout her body as she watched the exchange. When the two women parted, Dani shot Jamie an affectionate smile before she took her place in front of Judy.

“Dani, honey, it’s been so good to see you,” Judy said, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “Even if we didn’t give you much of a choice since we just showed up here.” They both let out a shaky laugh, choked by the emotion building between them.

“I know you’re probably sick of me apologizing by now, but I hope you do know how very sorry I am. I won’t go into it all again now, but I’m so sorry for not getting in touch sooner. I won’t make that mistake again…you’ll probably want to change your number with how often I’ll be calling to check in on you and your lovely girlfriend.”

Dani let out another light chuckle and sniffed to try and hold back her own tears. “You can call anytime. I’m sure I’ll be calling you plenty too…I don’t think you’ll be too shocked to hear my mom hasn’t been the most helpful at answering my questions about how to take care of things around the apartment.”

They shared a smile tinged with sadness over Karen Clayton’s lack of domestic skills and general lack of motherly affection for her daughter.

“I’ll be happy to answer any and all questions,” Judy offered before she pulled Dani into a fierce hug. “I’m so, so proud of you, sweetheart. You’ve made such a wonderful life for yourself here.”

Dani returned the tight hug, finding the warmth and safety in it that she’d remembered. “Thank you,” she murmured, not sure she could manage more of a response as she was choked up with her own emotions.

Judy eventually pulled back but grabbed Dani’s hands. “You know you’ll always have a place to stay when you come back to Iowa. You and Jamie,” she corrected as she glanced over to where Jamie was standing a couple of feet away. “We expect to see a lot more of the two of you, alright?”

Dani nodded and was pulled in for another hug before Eddie managed to steer his mom in the direction of the inn, offering a final, farewell wave.

Jamie and Dani began to head in the other direction toward Dani’s flat.

“I quite like her,” Jamie announced when they were halfway down the block. “And I’ll admit, Eddie grew on me too. I want to punch him a little bit less than when I first met him.”

Dani laughed at the comment, grateful for the bit of humor after the emotional goodbye with Judy. “Good to know. Thanks for not punching him, by the way. That might have made things a little awkward.”

“I do what I can,” Jamie teased with a shrug. “Anything to make it easier on you, Poppins.”

As Dani glanced over at Jamie, she felt the warmth that had settled in her chest while watching Jamie and Judy’s goodbye reignite in her heart. She knew the feelings she was refusing to properly acknowledge were growing and one day she’d be forced to confront them. However, Jamie seemed content with how things were going, or at least, she hadn’t yet pushed her to have a heart-to-heart. Dani clung to that harder than she should – as long as Jamie wasn’t encouraging her to open up, she could push the feelings threatening to emerge away for another night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bye O'Mara's, you've been great. Up next: It's Thanksgiving! (In England...)
> 
> A huge shoutout to paperkites3 for reviewing this chapter. This chapter is much better than the initial draft and I cannot thank her enough for reading it and confirming that there was something off (and then telling me exactly what it was and gently suggesting how to fix it lol). Also! A bit of dialogue is lifted directly from a conversation (altered slightly) that paperkites3 and I had. I'll give you one guess whose favorite number is 3 and which nerd picked 2, 4, and 16.
> 
> Thank you to everyone who read, left kudos on, and commented on the last chapter! As always, the comments you all post here or send me on tumblr make me so incredibly happy, I can't even express how much I appreciate them. And thank you to all the lovely people on twitter! I've been sent some of the sweet (and hilarious) posts over on twitter and those make my day too! l just appreciate all of you reading this fic so, so much.
> 
> Final note: about October 3rd...I didn’t mean to make a Mean Girls reference. I looked at a calendar and the day they would have been at the pub (counting back from Halloween) would have been Saturday, October 3rd, 1987. The fact it’s also a Mean Girls reference is just a wonderful coincidence.


	28. Chapter 28

As a new week began, Dani found herself increasingly distracted by thoughts of Jamie with every bit of free time she had. Her two free planning periods during the school day had become particularly difficult to get through as her mind had a tendency to wander without a classful of students to force her to stay focused. She would try to plan the next month’s lessons or attempt to get through grading the day’s assignments, but it would only take the smallest thing to grab hold of her attention and send her into a spiral of thoughts revolving around Jamie.

It certainly didn’t help that she’d brought Jamie’s pen with her to school. It wasn’t a remarkable pen by any means; just a cheap plastic pen advertising a local business. But it was the pen Jamie had left at her apartment just over a week ago when Dani had taken a couple of hours out of their Sunday together to do work. Jamie had curled up on the other end of the couch and split her time between reading a book borrowed from Dani’s collection and doodling on a scrap of paper Dani had previously used as a bookmark. Later that evening, after Jamie had gone home, Dani returned the book to the shelf, retrieved the improved bookmark – now covered in sketches of flowers and plants – to place on her nightstand, and slipped the pen that had been left behind into her purse.

Perhaps her initial intent had been to return the pen to Jamie the next time she saw her. However, a few days later, Dani had found the pen while digging through her bag for something else and it had lived in her desk drawer ever since. Every time she brought it out to use during the day, a faint smile would appear and her thoughts would turn to Jamie.

The pen was now tightly gripped between two fingers, tapping out a quick rhythm on the desk as she tried to concentrate on the pile of ungraded homework before her. Even though Dani wanted to get lost in the rather mundane task of correcting grammar, her thoughts kept drifting back to memories of the weekend - the O’Mara’s surprise visit; Jamie’s patience; the unexpected encounter with Hannah and Owen.

After catching her thoughts wandering yet again, Dani pushed away from her desk. She decided a quick trip to the teacher’s lounge for a cup of coffee might be just the thing to help get her out of her head. She was only halfway to her destination when the sound of her name being called through the empty hall caused her to pause and turn to locate the source of the interruption.

“Owen, hey,” Dani greeted the smiling man striding purposefully towards her. While she was always happy to see Owen, she couldn’t ignore the twinge of discomfort that settled in her stomach as he drew closer. It was the first time they’d seen each other since their mildly awkward interaction at the restaurant the previous evening and she couldn’t help but worry he was about to ask her more about her ‘friendship’ with Jamie.

“I’m glad I caught you,” he said as he approached her. “I was wondering if your guests were in town for the week?”

Dani’s eyebrows raised at the question, “Uh, no. They actually headed back to London this morning for their flight home.”

“Oh,” Owen gave a thoughtful nod as he processed the response. “I thought they might have been in town for the holiday – it is American Thanksgiving this week, right?”

“Yeah, it is,” Dani confirmed with a surprised smile since she hadn’t expected him to know that. “Judy always hosts a big dinner at her house for the whole family, so they needed to head back in time to get ready for that.”

“Ah, well, I was talking with Hannah last night and we thought it might be fun to do Thanksgiving here in England. I have to admit, I’ve always wanted to tackle the challenge of a whole turkey along with all of those side dishes in a single day. It will be after school, of course, but I think I can work on prepping some of the meals between the dinner rush here.”

A delighted grin spread across Dani’s face as she listened to Owen. “That would be amazing. Are you sure though? I don’t want you taking on all that work by yourself. I’m happy to just go out and grab dinner with you all at a restaurant. Or we could even just get some take out.”

Owen scoffed, “You don’t think I can handle an American Thanksgiving?”

“I mean it is a lot of food…” she trailed off with a small shrug before her grin widened over his playful act of being offended. “I’ll let you in on a little tip – it doesn’t have to all be done in one day. A lot of Americans prep the side dishes, or at least some of them, the day before.”

“So that’s how you do it,” Owen replied with a nod like he was picking up on a sage piece of wisdom. “Nevertheless, I think I’m up for the challenge. What do you say? Proper American Thanksgiving at my house on Thursday? I’ll invite Hannah and Rebecca, of course. You’re more than welcome to invite anyone you’d like, which is why I was wondering if your guests were still in town. You could invite Jamie Taylor or any other friends you’ve made around town.”

Dani felt her shoulders tense at the thought of inviting Jamie to spend an evening with her friends. While she appreciated the offer, she couldn’t imagine getting through the meal without everyone picking up on the fact that there was something more than friendship blossoming between her and Jamie. They weren’t exactly subtle even before they got together and Dani knew it had only gotten worse over the past few weeks.

“That’s alright, I’d prefer to spend the evening with just you, Hannah, and Rebecca,” Dani dismissed his offer to invite Jamie with a too-wide smile that she hoped didn’t betray her sudden rush of nerves.

“Wonderful, I’m looking forward to it.” Owen’s sincere smile indicated he really was looking forward to the work ahead of him and the thought warmed Dani’s heart. She was struck by how lucky she’d been to find such wonderful and genuine friends in her new home.

“Thank you, Owen. Seriously. I really appreciate this.”

“I’m just grateful for the excuse to make a proper Thanksgiving meal like you see in the movies. Only without all of the mishaps that always seem to ruin the day – it’ll be the best Thanksgiving you’ve ever had,” he promised with excitement shining in his eyes. “Now, I must go prepare my shopping list. Much ado about stuffing!”

Dani chuckled at the pun and turned to resume her journey to the teacher’s lounge.

* * *

With Dani’s apprehension over the thought of spending Thanksgiving alone replaced by the anticipation of celebrating with her friends, the next few days seemed to fly by. Additionally, her nightly calls with Jamie helped her get through each day as she eagerly awaited her call every evening.

They shared details of their respective workdays and made plans for the upcoming weekend, but Dani decided not to tell Jamie about her Thanksgiving plans. She worried that bringing it up might lead to a conversation, or at least teasing comments, about when Dani was going to tell her friends about their still undefined relationship.

Although Dani was pleased about how well things were going with Jamie, she was nervous that her friends wouldn’t share in her excitement. The thought of them judging her or expressing their disapproval over her relationship with Jamie was overwhelmingly stressful. It was a problem for her to figure out some other time – sometime after the holidays. Not just Thanksgiving, but maybe Christmas and New Year’s as well. Perhaps if she waited until the summer, after the time Jamie would have graduated had she stayed in school, her friends wouldn’t even have a problem with their relationship.

Dani tried to push aside her concerns over when and how to break the news to her friends, but the thoughts seemed to be creeping back more and more frequently. If she had to guess as to why, Dani would wager it was because of the very real feelings she was developing for Jamie. She didn’t want to keep Jamie a secret forever; she knew she couldn’t even if she tried. But she would put it off for as long as she could bear; until the anxiety and fear faded into a desperate need for her friends to know about the wonderful, amazing woman in her life. Dani wasn’t there yet, but with each day that passed, it felt like a step closer.

Thursday evening finally arrived and found Dani in good spirits as she made her way to Owen’s for dinner. Hannah greeted her at the door with a cheery smile and led Dani into the warm house already filled with the scent of delicious food.

“Wow, everything looks amazing,” Dani enthused as she followed Hannah into the kitchen where Owen was busy finishing up the last few side dishes while Rebecca leaned against a nearby counter with wine glass in hand.

“Why thank you,” Owen said with a pleased smile as he finished transferring the cranberry sauce into a serving dish. “If it looks good to the American, I must be on the right track.”

Hannah poured Dani a glass of red wine and handed it over before picking up her own glass.

“Definitely on the right track,” Dani confirmed with a nod. “This might be the best Thanksgiving spread I’ve ever seen.”

“You haven’t even seen it all,” Owen said as he waved a hand towards a side table where several more side dishes and two pies were beautifully displayed. “ _Feast_ your eyes on that.”

“I would be very thankful if this could be an evening without puns,” Rebecca teased as she glanced over at Owen.

“No puns? You expect me to quit cold turkey, do you?”

Rebecca groaned and dropped her head into her hands while Hannah and Dani laughed over the joke. Suddenly she lifted her head with a mischievous glint in her eyes, “Pluck off, Owen.”

Rather than seeming the slightest bit offended, Owen looked positively delighted as he fixed his attention on Rebecca.

“Oh no, he’s officially become a bad influence,” Hannah mused as she raised her wine glass to hide her affectionate smile.

“Yes, welcome to the dark side,” Owen nodded as he waved Rebecca over, “Come help with these potatoes, I’m sure you’ll have five more puns ready to go by the time we eat.”

“That sounds like a threat,” Rebecca countered, but went over to help with the potatoes without further complaint.

Fifteen minutes later, the remaining dishes were plated and placed along with the others. The highlight, of course, was a plump, perfectly golden turkey, which elicited a proud smile from Owen as he set it along with the other dishes.

After helping themselves to plates piled high with food, the four friends took their places at the table. Once seated, Owen glanced around at the others, “Based on my extensive research in preparation for this evening, I believe it’s customary for us all to share what we’re thankful for?”

He looked to Dani, who nodded as she smiled over the thought of his ‘research’ for the evening and wondered what it had entailed. The idea of him visiting Hannah in the school library to look at books on American holidays was adorable, but she had a feeling his research was based more on depictions of the holiday in pop culture.

“Great, I’ll start,” Owen announced as he lifted his wine glass. “I am so thankful for the opportunity to live out my dream of preparing a Thanksgiving meal.” He paused to smile at the chuckles from the others before continuing in a more serious tone. “I am also very thankful to be able to share this important accomplishment with some of my favorite people. Our affable American friend, Dani, the stubborn but splendid Rebecca, and of course, the incomparable Hannah Grose, who has made the last few weeks truly the best of my life.”

Dani exchanged a happy smile with Rebecca as they watched the tender gaze shared between Hannah and Owen. However, she noticed how Rebecca’s expression turned wistful, as if she was yearning for the type of genuine affection shared between their friends. Dani wondered if her own expression reflected the same longing; only for a much different reason. She had someone who looked at her the way Owen looked at Hannah, only her person wasn’t there enjoying the meal with them and Dani knew she was the only one to blame for that.

She grabbed her wine glass and took a sip to try and wash away the unsettling feeling creeping up from her gut. Now was not the time to feel guilty about keeping Jamie a secret from her friends; not when Owen had put in so much effort to prepare a beautiful meal that Dani was determined to enjoy.

“I’m supposed to follow that?” Hannah joked with a light chuckle to mask her flattered and flustered reaction. “I’ll do my best. I’m thankful for whatever sequence of events led Dani to our little town. I don’t want to speak on behalf of the others, so I’ll just say that my life has certainly been changed for the better since you’ve been a part of it. I’m very grateful for your friendship, Dani, just as I’m grateful for the friendships I’ve formed with Rebecca and Owen over the years. I’m so thankful to have you all in my life.”

Hannah lifted her glass as she finished her toast and Dani beamed happily, trying not to get choked up over the kind words since she didn’t want to cry onto her beautifully prepared plate. She was certain Owen would make some joke about ‘oversalting the food with her tears’ if she did.

“I’ll go next,” Rebecca offered, “Because I’m sure whatever Dani has to say will be as lovely as the rest of you lot and then I have the pressure of being the last to go.” The comment elicited light laughs as Rebecca picked up her wine glass and turned her attention to Dani.

“Dani, at the start of the school year, I wasn’t expecting to meet a new friend, let alone one as smart, funny, and compassionate as you. To echo the others’ sentiments, I’m so glad you decided to move here. You, Hannah, and Owen are the only people who keep me sane in this little town and in this job, and I love you all for it. Here’s to hoping our friendship continues to grow and that we won’t scare you away by the end of the school year.”

Dani laughed as Rebecca tilted her glass towards her in a ‘cheers’ gesture.

“I believe that turned into a New Year’s toast at the end there,” Owen commented with a teasing smile. “But I’ll let it slide seeing as most of us are new to this Thanksgiving thing.”

“Well, you’re all doing great,” Dani commended them with a grin. “Honestly, most of the Thanksgiving speeches back home are just a generic expression of thanks for family, friends, and good health, and then we all dive into the food. But, since I have to follow you all with those wonderful toasts, I’ll try to come up with something better to say than my Great Uncle Milton’s rambling Thanksgiving prayer.”

Dani paused to reflect on the trio gathered around the table with her. “This year I’m really thankful to have made the decision to move to England. Being here, in Goldthorpe, working at the school and seeing you all every day – well, it’s been the best year of my life even though I’m really only counting the last few months when I say that. Thank you for welcoming me into your little circle of friendship and for accepting me when I came out,” she paused and swallowed around the words. She still found it difficult to be so forthright about her sexual orientation, but she knew she was safe with this group of people whom she trusted so much.

“I think you three are some of the best friends I’ve ever had. Thank you for helping me adjust to life in England and to the school system here, which I’m honestly still adapting to, but I think I’m doing a lot better. Still struggling with the tea thing, though.”

Her comment drew a round of chuckles and Dani smiled softly. If given the chance, she could easily ramble on for another several minutes over how grateful she was for her friends, but she knew everyone was more than ready to dive into their dinner. “I’ll just wrap things up with a final thank you – thank you to Owen for making this incredible meal and thank you all for being here tonight to help me celebrate my first American holiday in my new home…”

“Ah, you’re moving in now, are you?” Owen teased, although his broad smile and the delighted crinkle at the corner of his eyes indicated he was quite moved by the speech.

“My new home meaning _England_ ,” Dani corrected as she shot him a playful glare before resuming her cheerful grin, “Happy Thanksgiving!”

* * *

After the leftovers were put away and the dishes cleaned, the group retired to the living room with yet another bottle of wine.

Rebecca and Dani collapsed onto one couch while Hannah and Owen claimed the other. They were all exhausted due to the amount of food they consumed, so the ensuing conversation wasn’t particularly lively, but it was amiable.

“Oh, I wanted to ask you,” Rebecca began as she rolled her head along the back of the sofa to look at Dani, too fatigued to properly shift to face her friend. “Are you free to go out for drinks on Saturday evening?”

Dani considered the question from where she was sprawled out on the other end of the couch. She and Jamie had vague plans to spend time together Saturday evening, but she knew that could be rescheduled. It was important to Dani that she didn’t focus all her time on Jamie to the point of neglecting her friends, especially given how much time she and Jamie had spent together over the last few weekends.

“Yeah, I’m free,” she replied with a smile.

“Wonderful!” Rebecca beamed before turning her attention towards the other couch, “What about the two of you? Care to join us for drinks on Saturday?”

“I wish we could,” Hannah said, although her expression was far from regretful. “We have tickets to a show in Manchester on Saturday.”

“Ooh date night in Manchester,” Rebecca replied with a waggish smile. “That certainly sounds better than boring drinks around here. Have fun you two.”

Hannah and Owen both seemed embarrassed at the attention drawn to their relationship, but Dani could see their small, matching smiles that revealed they were both eagerly looking forward to their date.

“I’m glad you’re in for drinks though,” Rebecca continued as she returned her attention to Dani. “It’ll be so much fun to have you join us on Saturday.”

“Us?” Dani questioned, her body already tensing in anticipation of what Rebecca was about to say.

“Yes, Peter will be in town this weekend. He thought it would be nice to go out on Saturday since we’ve spent the last few visits holed up in my flat or his and we haven’t done much with friends.”

Dani didn’t like how closely her last few weekends paralleled Rebecca’s. In fact, she found she loathed any comparison between the quasi-relationship she and Jamie were in and the toxic relationship involving Peter and Rebecca. She wished she’d thought to ask if he’d be in town before agreeing to go out on Saturday, but unfortunately, she’d already confirmed she was free for the evening. Backing out now would only upset Rebecca.

Even though Dani would much rather spend the evening with Jamie, she decided she could endure another night spent with Peter Quint if it made Rebecca happy. After all the terrible things Rebecca put up with on a regular basis because of Peter, the least Dani could do was not add to her list of disappointments.

“Looking forward to it,” she finally replied with a smile that didn’t meet her eyes. If Rebecca noticed the reluctance in her smile, she didn’t comment on it as she returned her attention to her wine.

They lounged around on the couches for a while longer until Owen remembered the pies for dessert and eagerly leapt up. He looked like he regretted the sudden movement as he brought a hand to his stomach, but his eyes still glistened with delight.

“I don’t know if I can eat anything else,” Hannah said as she gave him an apologetic smile. “Everything from the main course was so delicious and I’m afraid I ate more than I should have.”

“Careful, Hannah, you might hurt his feelings,” Rebecca cautioned her friend. “He was raving about the chocolate pecan pie earlier. He sounded so excited about it; I was a little afraid he might leave you for the dessert.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Owen scoffed before turning a warm smile towards Hannah, “I only have pies for you, Hannah.”

Rebecca groaned and Hannah rolled her eyes, but a smile played on her lips.

“Does that mean the pies are only for Hannah?” Dani teased, “Because I was kind of hoping to try a little slice of both.”

“You have room for multiple pieces of pie?” Rebecca asked incredulously as she turned her gaze to Dani. “First of all, how? And secondly, where do you put it?”

Dani laughed at her friend’s reaction. “After twenty-two Thanksgivings, you get a hang of eating way too much food and still saving room for pie.”

Hannah and Rebecca looked uncertain, but they agreed to try a small slice of both pies as well, which delighted Owen as he scurried into the other room.

After eating as much of the fantastic dessert as they could stomach without feeling sick, the group of friends decided to call it a night. Dani made her way home with a full stomach and equally full heart. The only thing that would have made her Thanksgiving even better was if Jamie had been there. Dani reminded herself that there was always next year, and the thought brought a happy smile to her face. With a whole year to sort out how to tell her friends about Jamie, she was certain that it was a definite possibility she’d get to celebrate her next Thanksgiving with Jamie _and_ her friends.

As Dani reached the landing to the second floor of her building, her gaze caught on something unexpected outside of her door. She curiously drew closer to her flat, each step allowing her to better make out what she was seeing – a bottle of red wine and a cardboard box that looked an awful lot like a pie box from a bakery.

The surprise gift brought a slight frown to Dani’s face as she glanced around, but found no indication of who had dropped the items off. Dani had her suspicions, of course, but was hoping to find some clue to be sure. Her keys were already in hand, so she unlocked the front door and pushed it open before gathering the items and bringing them inside. As soon as she crossed the threshold, she spotted a piece of paper on the ground, but walked past it to deposit the wine and pie box in the kitchen.

Dani wandered back to retrieve the paper on the ground. She checked the hall a final time to see if her mysterious gift giver was still lurking around before she closed the front door. With a small smile already forming on her face, she glanced down at the letter that had been shoved under her door.

_Hey Poppins,_

_Wanted to stop by with a few things to help you celebrate the silly little holiday you call ‘Thanksgiving’ but I guess I missed you. I hope you’re out having a good time._

_Give me a call when you get in so I know you’ve made it home safe?_

_xx J_

The note made her smile grow even wider; however, her stomach twisted with guilt as she pictured Jamie waiting for her with an adorable surprise only to end up going home alone when Dani never showed up. Not for the first time that evening, Dani regretted that she hadn’t taken Owen up on his offer to invite Jamie along for the holiday dinner. She was sure Jamie would have appreciated the good meal and Dani would have enjoyed having her favorite people gathered in one room.

She pushed aside her remorse as she went over to the phone to do as the note requested and give Jamie a call. It was late, but Dani didn’t think she’d be disturbing anyone’s bedtime quite yet. Fortunately, Jamie answered just after the second ring.

“Hello?”

“Hi Jamie,” Dani smiled at the sound of the brunette’s voice. “I wanted to let you know I just got home and I found a lovely little surprise waiting for me.”

“Take it your neighbors didn’t steal anything then,” Jamie replied with a smirk in her voice, “Good, I would have been fuming if they ruined my romantic little gesture. Well, more than it was already ruined by my shite timing, I guess.”

“No, that was completely on me,” Dani insisted, not wanting Jamie to take even an ounce of blame when the intended surprise was so sweet. “Owen planned this Thanksgiving dinner for me and some of our friends from work. I should have told you I’d be out tonight, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, you’re free to spend time with your friends whenever you want. I’m not keeping tabs on you, so you don’t owe me a daily schedule or anything,” Jamie teased.

“Yeah, I know. But still…I should have mentioned that I had plans during one of our calls this week. Maybe you can come over tomorrow after work and we can still have the pie and wine?” Dani’s wide-eyed expression matched the hopeful tone in her voice as she desperately tried to find some way to make up for missing Jamie earlier.

“I wish I could,” Jamie sighed, her tone sounding sincerely regretful. “My dad’s going to be out tomorrow night and he asked if I would be home to keep an eye on Mikey and I said I would.”

“Oh, right,” Dani said with a nod, feeling her hopefulness waver. “Yeah, that’s good that you’re there to watch Mikey.”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to another sleepover…” Jamie suggested, although the teasing tone of her voice indicated she was well aware Dani wasn’t going to take her up on the offer.

“Hmm I think I’m gonna pass. We were lucky Mikey didn’t catch us last time, trying our luck twice seems to be asking for trouble.”

“Well, I think you’re always looking for a bit of trouble,” Jamie shot back with a flirtatious edge to her voice. “But if I can’t talk you into coming over tomorrow, then I suppose Saturday will have to do.”

Dani felt a wave of irritation followed by the image of Peter Quint’s stupidly smug face and she rolled her eyes. “I can’t do Saturday evening, Rebecca invited me out for drinks and failed to mention her awful boyfriend would be there until after I already agreed. But maybe we can meet up Saturday morning and spend the day together?”

“I have work,” Jamie pointed out, “Unfortunately I have to help open and work ‘til late in the afternoon.”

Dani frowned in disappointment and rested an elbow on the table, leaning her head into her hand. “It seems like Saturday is out, I guess. Does Sunday work? I can save the wine and pie so we can have it then.”

“Works for me. So if you don’t have any plans Sunday, you can expect me on your doorstep bright and early. Seems we’ll have a lot of missed time to make up for in one day.”

Dani grinned at the thought of a day filled with Jamie and little else. “No plans,” she confirmed, “So I’m yours all day.”

“I like the sound of that,” Jamie murmured. There was a long silence that Dani didn’t see a need to fill as she instead pictured all the different activities she and Jamie could partake in on Sunday.

“Did you have a good Thanksgiving then?”

Dani was surprised by the question as it pulled her out of a particularly vivid daydream of Jamie pressing her up against the kitchen counter. “Uh, yeah,” she answered as she tried to rein in her wandering thoughts so she could properly answer the question. “It was really nice. Owen made a whole Thanksgiving meal fit for about twenty people just for the four of us. I ate entirely too much, but that’s just basically a Thanksgiving tradition. I’ll spend the next few days too lethargic to move while I finish digesting.”

“Well, I’ll see what I can do on Sunday to help you work up an appetite again so we can have that pie. Probably won’t be as good as Owen’s, but hey, pie is pie, right?”

Dani chuckled even though her mind was still stuck on all the ways Jamie could help her work up her appetite. She was sure Jamie had quite a few ideas of things they could do to burn a few calories.

“I’m looking forward to Sunday,” Dani said as she smiled softly at the thought of seeing Jamie. However, her smile faltered as she remembered the missed opportunity earlier that evening. “And I’m sorry again that I didn’t get to see you tonight. I hope you weren’t waiting too long?

“Nah, not too long,” Jamie confirmed, although her dismissive tone was hard to read and Dani wasn’t sure how long she’d actually waited around. “Don’t worry about it though, it’s one of the risks of trying to surprise someone – when you don’t make plans, you can’t be sure they’ll actually be around to surprise.”

“The gesture was still very much appreciated,” Dani bit her lip before voicing the thought that had been running through her mind ever since she found the little surprise. “I plan on showing you just how much I appreciate it on Sunday.”

A sound of want escaped Jamie before she cleared her throat, “You sure I can’t talk you into another sleepover at the Taylor house tomorrow?”

Dani laughed at the eager question, “I think it’s going to be a long time before you can talk me into doing that again.”

“Sunday it is then,” Jamie said with an exaggerated sigh. “I suppose I can wait until then.”

“Doesn’t seem like you have much of a choice,” Dani shot back with a smirk.

“Fair point,” Jamie conceded. There was a brief lull in the conversation before she spoke up again, “I should go make sure Mikey’s getting ready for bed. But thank you for calling.”

Dani frowned in disappointment at the thought of saying goodbye to Jamie, but she knew they both had work in the morning. “Yeah, of course. I couldn’t miss our nightly call,” her tone was light, almost teasing, but with an underlying fondness that reflected just how much she enjoyed their routine of daily calls. “I hope you have a good night.”

“You too,” Jamie replied, “Sweet dreams, Poppins.”

“Sweet dreams,” Dani murmured in reply before hanging up the phone with a blissful smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like if fictional character Adult Protective Services was a thing, some of you would try to get Jamie taken away from me. She's FINE. Just don't think about her waiting like an eager puppy on Dani's doorstep with her adorable little surprise.
> 
> Thank you to ninjaatheart for reining me in once again. She took a pun that was a bit too crass and out of character and suggested a variation that was so much better/funnier. Thank you :)
> 
> Thank you for reading/leaving kudos/commenting on the last chapter! I know I say this every time, but I just want to let you all know (again) how much I appreciate your lovely comments and messages on here, tumblr, and twitter. I can't even express how much they mean to me. I didn't have the best week but your comments and messages made it so much better! I'm still not on twitter but I get sent some of the tweets (most recently by someone who doesn't even read this story hahaha) and they make me so happy. I adore each and every one of you! Thank you for sticking with this story and I hope you continue to enjoy the remaining chapters :)


	29. Chapter 29

Dani took a deep breath as she stood outside of the bar, staring at the bright neon sign over the entrance. The sound of loud pop music and excited chatter coming from inside promised a lively atmosphere. On any other night, Dani might be looking forward to checking out the popular venue. However, on this particular night, a heavy feeling of dread had settled deep in her stomach.

The door swung open as a couple of women, clearly intoxicated, stumbled out of the club while laughing. Dani moved aside to let them pass before catching the door and taking a step inside. Her eyes scanned the packed venue until they landed on Rebecca. A scowl formed on her face when her gaze drifted to the tall man beside her, but she forced it away with a fake smile as she made her way over to the booth toward the back of the bar.

As Dani drew closer, ducking and dodging around various bar patrons, she noticed there was someone else in the booth with Rebecca and Peter. The woman’s back was to her and all Dani could see was her long, dark hair.

Dani stopped beside the booth, her gaze sweeping around the table as she kept the too-cheerful smile on her face. “Hi,” she called out in greeting before she glanced at the stranger on the side of the booth opposite Peter and Rebecca.

It was a woman she’d never seen before. A woman with striking good looks whose eyes were leisurely sliding up and down Dani’s form as if evaluating her. The way the woman was blatantly checking her out caused Dani to shift uncomfortably as she looked over at Rebecca with a quirk of her eyebrow to silently inquire about the unexpected guest.

“Dani, I’m so glad you’re here!” Rebecca enthused as she stood up from the booth to wrap Dani in a friendly hug. The force of the clumsy hug nearly knocked Dani off her feet and she could tell the group must have already had a couple of drinks before she arrived. She couldn’t blame them for getting started without her – Dani had been looking for almost any excuse to stall for time, hoping it would cut down on how much of her evening she’d have to spend around Peter.

“Yeah, sorry I’m late,” Dani apologized although she didn’t feel even the slightest bit of remorse over her late arrival.

“Oh, it’s no problem,” Rebecca insisted as she pulled away.

“Perhaps a bit surprising,” Peter added, “Becs said you only live a few blocks away. Aren’t teachers supposed to be punctual?”

There was a teasing lilt to his voice but the hard look in his eyes indicated he was less than pleased with her lack of punctuality. Dani wasn’t sure why he even cared about her being late, but she feigned a regretful smile anyway.

“Yeah, I just got held up on a call with my mom,” Dani lied. She flicked her gaze over to the mysterious woman at the table who was now observing her with a coy smile. It made Dani feel as though she’d finished her evaluation and had determined that she liked what she saw.

“Hi, I’m Viola,” the woman introduced once she had Dani’s attention.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Rebecca said in a rush as she glanced between the two women. “Viola, this is my friend Dani Clayton. Dani, this is Peter’s friend, Viola.”

“Viola Lloyd,” Peter cut in with a scolding glance at Rebecca before fixing Dani with a look that suggested she should be impressed by that name.

Dani furrowed her brow as she tried to figure out if she’d ever heard of the name Viola Lloyd, but she drew a blank. She shifted her gaze to Viola and gave her a polite smile, “Nice to meet you.”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Viola replied as she shifted further into the booth and waved a hand for Dani to sit beside her.

Dani hesitated. She didn’t like the way Viola looked at her any more than she liked the fact that this woman was friends with Peter Quint. Any friend of Peter’s was someone Dani definitely didn’t want to know. She also had the sinking feeling that it wasn’t a coincidence Viola just happened to be joining them for drinks; no, Dani knew this was a set up.

Despite her growing discomfort, Dani knew there wasn’t an easy way to extract herself from the situation. She’d already arrived late so attempting to feign some type of illness to leave early would only upset Rebecca. Or it could frustrate Peter, who might take it out on Rebecca, which she didn’t want to be responsible for.

With a tight smile directed at Viola, Dani took a seat beside her on the booth, trying to leave as much space between them as possible.

“Peter tells me you’re a teacher,” Viola said as she lifted her drink and shifted to face the blonde.

Dani wished she had some alcohol to get her through the evening and glanced around to try and catch the attention of the waitress. “Uhm, yeah,” she replied as she turned her attention back to Viola. “I work at the same school as Rebecca. I teach year eleven English.”

“I’m surprised they let an American teach English,” Viola quipped, earning an amused laugh from Peter and a polite chuckle from Rebecca.

It was far from the first time Dani had heard the joke; however, she found she didn’t have the energy to paste on a smile and provide her usual explanation about the history of the differing spellings between the two countries.

“Yeah, us Americans can really surprise people. We’re smarter than we seem,” Dani replied with a halfhearted attempt at a playful tone. She cast a glance over at Rebecca, hoping her friend would read into it enough to tell that Dani had caught on that this was a set up. Rebecca sent her a friendly wink as she sipped her drink, clearly missing the irritation burning in Dani’s eyes.

A stillness settled over the table after the dry response that gave away Dani’s lack of amusement over the assumption she wasn’t fit to teach in England. Viola’s laugh cut through the silence, prompting Peter to let out a chuckle of his own.

“You didn’t tell me how funny she was,” Viola said to Peter in a way that made Dani’s skin crawl. She hated being discussed as if she wasn’t even at the table. Before she could figure out how to respond, the waitress arrived at their booth.

Dani gratefully accepted the distraction and debated ordering a Long Island Iced Tea to get as much alcohol in her system as quickly as possible. However, the thought of getting drunk with her current company was quite unappealing, which prompted her to order a vodka tonic instead.

With the small comfort that alcohol was on the way, Dani decided to push down her frustration and try to be civil. She couldn’t change her current predicament, but her attitude towards her situation was within her control.

Dani drew in a breath through her nose before glancing over at Viola. “So, what do you do?”

She could hear Peter’s astonished scoff from across the table, but ignored it as she fixed Viola with what she hoped was a semi-friendly smile.

A condescending smirk appeared on Viola’s face as she looked at Dani; almost as if she felt bad for Dani for asking the question. “Oh, a bit of this and that,” she replied unhelpfully, though the response drew an amused snort from Peter. “I spend quite a bit of time helping with the various charities that I’m on the board of; I also own a small art gallery in Brighton, more of a hobby than anything really. Of course, that’s all in addition to my day job.”

Dani’s brow furrowed at the lack of a clear response from Viola as to what exactly she did for a living. Rebecca must have picked up on her cluelessness as she cut in to the conversation.

“Viola’s family owns Lloyd’s. The department store,” Rebecca explained with her typical, patient smile. “They’re all over the UK.”

“Sorry, I guess I haven’t heard of them,” Dani replied with an attempt at a sheepish smile.

“Guess the American isn’t so smart after all,” Peter teased, the proud smile on his face indicating he enjoyed using Dani’s earlier comment against her a little too much.

Dani bit back a scowl at Peter’s rude remark. It was much too early in the evening for her to lose her patience with him seeing as she hadn’t even had her first drink. Instead, she focused on Viola as she offered an explanation to avoid seeming rude, “I’m not much of a shopper. Or, at least, I haven’t had an opportunity to do much shopping since I’ve lived here.”

Viola waved a dismissive hand, “Oh, trust me, you’re not missing anything,” she remarked with a self-deprecating chuckle. “It’s my family’s company, really. I mean, I am the CFO, but I don’t like mentioning it. I prefer people get to know me before they know about my family’s money.”

Although the smile on Viola’s face seemed genuine enough, Dani couldn’t help but think the statement rang false. After all, she’d only known her a matter of minutes and had already found out that Viola came from a very wealthy family. True, Peter and Rebecca had been the ones filling her in along the way, but Dani got the sense that Viola had been more than a little dismayed when Dani didn’t recognize her name, or the status and wealth it represented.

“CFO, that sounds like a lot of work,” Dani commented. Her gaze flicked over to the waitress as she set her drink in front of her and she murmured a polite ‘thank you’ before returning her attention to Viola. “What are you doing all the way out here? I can’t imagine company headquarters are in Goldthorpe.”

Viola’s expression revealed her displeasure at the mere thought. “God, no. The main office is in London.” Her disgusted frown turned back into a smile as she shifted closer to Dani. “As to why I’m here, well, Peter insisted that there was a striking woman that I just _had_ to meet.”

Dani swallowed nervously at the seductive tone in Viola’s voice. It was discomforting enough that it drove Dani to focus her gaze on someone she typically avoided at all costs. “How do you two know each other?” She asked Peter to avoid granting Viola an excuse to move even closer.

“The Lloyds are clients of the company I work for,” Peter replied as he swirled the amber liquid around his glass, paying more attention to his drink than to her. Dani didn’t mind his curt reply and lack of eye contact; in fact, she preferred not being locked in his intense and unsettling gaze. “I’ve known Viola and her family for years.”

If Dani cared to, she could have searched her memory to retrieve the details of what it was that Peter’s company did. Or she could have asked for a reminder. However, Dani truly did not care about the answer and was happy to avoid any excuse for him to make a snide comment before droning on about his job.

Dani turned her gaze to Rebecca, her eyes pleading for her friend to step in. She wasn’t entirely sure what she expected Rebecca to do, but just about anything would be a welcome distraction. She tightened her grip on her other distraction, the glass filled with vodka and tonic water with a wedge of lime, and lifted it to her lips.

“Peter mentioned that you and Viola might get along,” Rebecca explained to help fill in the gaps about why Dani was seated beside the daughter of one of the country’s wealthiest families. “You’re both intelligent, charming, and have a great sense of humor. We thought it would be nice to introduce you two given how much you have in common.”

Dani would have cracked a smile over the kind comments if not for how uncomfortable she was. The hopeful look in Rebecca’s eyes indicated she really was trying to do something nice for Dani. Truthfully, Dani was even a little honored that Peter and Rebecca thought to set her up with someone who was clearly quite a catch given her wealth and obvious beauty. If she wasn’t in a quasi-relationship with Jamie, she might have even felt excited and a bit nervous over this double date.

However, she did have Jamie. Even though they hadn’t defined their relationship, Dani considered herself ‘off the market’, so to speak. She wasn’t looking for anyone else; not when Jamie already went above and beyond her expectations for how sweet, attentive, and caring a potential partner could be.

“You forgot to mention stunning,” Viola added with a smirk as she let her gaze wander slowly over Dani, “That seems to be something else we have in common.”

The comment was flattering, if not a bit cocky given that Viola had applied the descriptor to herself as well. Dani emitted a soft laugh, knowing a response was expected, before taking another long sip of her vodka tonic. She was nearly finished with the drink after just a few sips, but she wasn’t surprised seeing as she’d nearly chugged it down to ease the sourness of her stomach at being around an arrogant Peter and a leering Viola.

“You live in London, then?” Dani asked, relieved that there was at least quite a bit of distance between her and Viola. She could always use that as an excuse if Viola asked to see her again after tonight. However, she planned to do what she could to disabuse Viola of that notion without being completely rude and offending Rebecca and Peter.

“I’m there three days a week for work, I have a little place in Knightsbridge. Well, perhaps not so little,” she paused and shared a laugh with Peter as Dani resisted the urge to roll her eyes at how openly she flaunted her wealth. “The rest of the time I’m at my house in Brighton. I much prefer it there – the ocean, the charm of the town, my gallery. And, as I’m sure you’re aware, there’s a thriving community of, well, people like us, I suppose.”

“I’m sorry?” Dani asked, her brow furrowing as she tried to determine what Viola meant by that.

“People like us,” Viola repeated, her hand lifting from the table to tuck a strand of hair behind Dani’s ear. “People who…don’t follow traditional rules of attraction.” She kept her fingers in Dani’s hair as she twirled the soft, blonde strands around her finger.

Dani felt the knot of discomfort in her stomach tighten and she huffed out a high-pitched chuckle before she shot a glance at Rebecca. “I, uh, have to go to the bathroom.” She drained the rest of her drink as she locked eyes with her friends to send a silent cue to follow. After cautiously pulling away from Viola’s hand, she was on her feet in a flash.

Fortunately, Rebecca picked up on the wordless plea and quickly polished off the last sip of her martini. “I’ll join you.”

Dani navigated through the crowded bar to the narrow hall that led to the bathrooms. She pushed opened the door to the ladies’ room and took several quick steps over toward the sink before turning on her heel to face Rebecca. The bathroom was quieter, but they weren’t alone and Dani did her best to tune out the conversations of the other women touching up their makeup and washing their hands.

“What’s going on?” Dani asked as she put her hands on her hips. She made a point to keep her voice down, not wanting anyone to overhear their conversation – especially the part about her being set up on a date with a woman.

“I think you’ve caught on to what’s going on,” Rebecca teased, her good mood not fading despite Dani’s obvious irritation. Dani figured the drinks her friend had already consumed were to blame for her bubbly mood.

Dani sighed as she raked a hand through her hair. “Yeah, I guess I have. And I…I really appreciate what you were trying to do tonight. I just wish you’d talked to me about it first.”

“You’re right,” Rebecca agreed and her smile turned into a solemn nod as she appeared to be trying to match Dani’s tone despite her level of inebriation. “I wanted to tell you about it, but Peter wanted it to be a surprise. Though, I’ll admit I think he was expecting you to actually know who she was, or recognize the name at least. I told him you probably wouldn’t because you haven’t been in England very long, but he disagreed.”

“Yeah, I’d never heard of the Lloyd’s.”

Rebecca chuckled, still lost in her own thoughts as she continued, “He thought you’d be speechless seeing Viola here tonight. He was even betting you’d make a terrible first impression because you’d be falling all over yourself trying to impress her. I told him you weren’t like that. Even if you did recognize her, I knew you wouldn’t act all starstruck or anything like that. You’d just be yourself and treat her like a normal person.”

“Well, she is a normal person,” Dani replied with a dismissive shrug. “I mean, she seems a little full of herself, but I’m sure growing up rich in a country that’s so focused on status might do that to a person.”

“So, do you like her?” Rebecca asked as she leaned in, her eyes bright with excitement and perhaps with intoxication as well.

Dani glanced around as Rebecca’s volume hadn’t been quite at the low level she wanted, but fortunately, the handful of women in the bathroom weren’t paying them the slightest bit of attention.

She sighed as she tried to figure out how to respond without upsetting her friend. “She seems…I don’t know. I suppose she has a decent sense of humor…and she sure is confident, I’ll give her that. But she’s just not my type, I guess.”

“Your type?” Rebecca asked with a frown. It seemed as if she was only just realizing that lesbians might have preferences in a partner beyond simply being a woman who liked other women.

“Yeah,” Dani said with a nod. She realized she’d backed herself into a bit of a corner as she’d never really considered what her type was. It had only been a few months since she’d let herself truly acknowledge that she was attracted to women. During that time, she’d only really been attracted to _one_ woman.

“I think my type is someone who’s a little more down-to-earth. I’m not really into that whole high society thing. Bragging about having lots of money and two houses doesn’t really do it for me.”

“Peter said she also has a flat in Paris,” Rebecca added with a tipsy smile.

“Okay, three houses then,” Dani corrected with a chuckle. “Either way, I’m just not feeling the connection. I do appreciate the effort though, really.”

Rebecca’s smile faltered as she nodded. “Of course, I get that these blind set ups have a low probability of working out. It’s like I told you a few weeks ago, unfortunately I don’t know any other women who also like women. When I told Peter who were gay, he mentioned you to Viola, knowing she’s had a girlfriend or two in the past. She seemed intrigued and well, here we are. Shame there’s no spark on your end, she seems quite taken with you.”

“Yeah, I kind of picked up on that,” Dani said with a frown. “She’s certainly a bit…forward. A lot more than I would have expected given her family’s status and the fact we’re in public.”

Even though Dani hadn’t always been the most discreet with Jamie, they at least tried to be cautious when they were out in public. She was surprised Viola seemed oblivious to the fact she might draw an audience with the way she was flirting so openly with another woman.

“I think that goes back to the money thing,” Rebecca mused. “People like that tend to live in a bubble where standard rules of society don’t really apply to them. Or, at least, they think the rules don’t apply. If they do attract unfavorable headlines, they have more than enough money to sort it out. Make it disappear.”

Dani considered that and frowned as she considered the type of protected life people like Viola experienced. It was like night and day compared to her own upbringing in rural Iowa. She could only imagine the struggle she and Viola would have trying to find common interests and topics of conversations if she had been interested in actually going on a proper date with her.

“I guess that makes sense,” Dani replied slowly, agreeing with Rebecca’s assessment of Viola’s apparent indifference towards being forward with Dani in a public setting. “It’s just making me kind of uncomfortable.”

“She is rather bold, isn’t she?” Rebecca joked before giving Dani a reassuring smile. “I’ll keep an eye on you, don’t worry.”

Dani hesitated as she considered asking if it was alright if she called it an early night. Perhaps it was even early enough she could give Jamie a call and see if she’d be able to come over. The possibility of seeing Jamie had her opening her mouth before she even gave it a second thought.

“I think I may head out, actually.”

Rebecca’s face immediately crumpled into a disappointed frown as her eyes widened with concern. “So soon? You just got here! I’ve so been looking forward to going out for drinks with you.”

“Yeah, I know it’s early,” Dani agreed as she struggled to find a way out of the evening without upsetting her friend. “It’s just…I’m kinda tired and – ”

Rebecca cut her off mid-sentence, “If it’s about Viola, honestly there are absolutely no expectations. You don’t even have to talk to her anymore, if you don’t want to. In fact, you and I can sit on the same side of the booth and chat and gossip together and leave those to talk about boring work things.”

Dani took in the excited smile on Rebecca’s face and the hopeful look in her eyes. She knew that Peter had a tight grasp on Rebecca’s free time and this may be the first time Rebecca had even had a chance to go out with a friend in a long time. Perhaps since the last time they went to the pub to play pool. Dani worried that if she were to leave now, she would just push Rebecca further towards Peter; convince her that Peter is the only one who is genuinely there for her.

After a quiet, slow inhale Dani offered Rebecca a smile. “Okay, you convinced me. I’ll stay; at least for another drink.”

A blinding grin spread across Rebecca’s face, “Wonderful!” She pulled Dani in a quick, tipsy hug and when she moved back, her smile faded into one slightly smaller, but just as genuine. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” Dani could see the appreciation reflected in Rebecca’s eyes and knew how much her company meant to her.

Rebecca led the way back to the table with Dani trailing behind, trying not to look as dejected as she felt.

“They’ve returned,” Viola commented with a sly smile as Rebecca and Dani stood at the end of the table. Her remark addressed both of them, but her intense gaze was focused only on Dani.

“About time,” Peter added in a tone that gave away his mild irritation at the wait. “We managed to order another round of drinks _and_ have them served to us in the time we’ve been waiting for the two of you.”

Dani already regretted agreeing to another drink. She should have pushed harder to leave, or even to bring Rebecca with her and have a girl’s night back at her flat. Anything to avoid spending more time around Peter and his ‘jokes’ that seemed to always be thinly veiling a very real rage.

“We just got caught up talking about work,” Rebecca said with a chuckle designed to dismiss any further questioning. “Actually, I was hoping we could change up the seating a bit so Dani and I can continue our conversation.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Becs,” Peter scoffed. “You see her all the time. You two can have your little chat during the week. The weekends are my time with you.” He stretched his arm across the back of the booth sending a clear message for her to take her seat.

Dani glanced over to see Rebecca pause before shooting her an apologetic smile as she gave in and sat beside him. Dread washed over Dani as she realized the evening was going to continue in much the same way it had before she’d dragged Rebecca in the bathroom. The only thought that gave her some peace of mind was that she’d only promised Rebecca that she’d stay for one more drink. She’d be polite enough not to just knock the drink back, but she was planning on another fifteen minutes – twenty at most, and she’d be on her way.

Unease prickled up Dani’s spine as she took the vacant spot beside Viola. She could feel the other woman watching her, her eyes practically boring a hole in the side of Dani’s face as she waited patiently to be the focus of the blonde’s attention.

After taking a healthy sip of the fresh vodka tonic in front of her she glanced over at Viola.

“Have you ever been to Brighton, Dani?”

Dani’s eyebrows knitted together as Viola seamlessly picked up the conversation from where they’d left off. It was as if she had set the course the evening’s conversation would take and was determined not to let anything derail it.

“Uh, no. I haven’t.” Dani knew her answer was a bit blunt and she felt a pang of guilt. Viola was simply trying to get to know her; she was here under the assumption that Dani was single and open to meeting someone.

There was no one Dani could fault for that mistaken assumption but herself. She was too afraid to be honest with her friends about Jamie, too nervous to label their relationship even though with each day that passed, the desire to call Jamie her girlfriend only grew stronger.

“It’s a lovely little seaside city. I think you’d like it. You should come visit one weekend. I’ll show you around, take you out to dinner…you can stay at my place, of course.”

If it had been someone else offering, someone with a smile that leaned more towards friendly than lecherous, Dani might have considered the offer. However, it was clear from the way Viola’s hand was inching towards Dani’s across the smooth wood of the tabletop that she had clear expectations for how this visit would play out. Expectations that seemed to involve Dani ending up in her bed.

Dani swiftly moved the hand Viola was inching towards to pick up her glass. As she took a slow sip of her drink to stall for time, her brain sorted through ways to politely decline the invitation. She glanced to Rebecca for help only to realize that Peter had leaned in close to engage Rebecca in a private conversation.

“Thank you, that’s very generous of you.” Viola’s smile grew at the comment as she angled her body further towards Dani. “But I really couldn’t accept,” she insisted as she set her glass back down.

“Why not?” Viola challenged as she cocked her head to the side, her eyes flashing with something akin to annoyance.

“Well, for starters, we hardly know each other,” Dani pointed out. “It’s usually not the best idea to spend a weekend with someone you just met.”

Viola’s smile returned as she appeared unphased by the excuse. “One might argue that it’s the best way to get to know someone. Some might even say it’s…romantic. The idea of a whirlwind weekend spent getting to know one another.”

Dani might have been convinced that Viola genuinely believed what she was saying – that she had offered the trip simply as a way to get to know Dani. To wine and dine her as they discussed pleasant memories from their respective pasts and dreams for the future, taking time to build the foundation of a real relationship. However, there was that seductive glint in Viola’s eye that indicated she was more interested in trying to wine and _bed_ Dani in order to get better acquainted with her body.

“I guess that’s another way to look at it,” Dani agreed. “Unfortunately, it’s just not something I’m interested in. I’m sorry, I’m not trying to be rude, it’s just…it seems a bit much for me.”

Irritation seeped into Viola’s expression again before she wiped it away with a tight, stubborn smile that was soon distorted as her lips parted to release a chuckle. “If that seems a bit much, I’m glad I didn’t offer to take you to my flat in Paris for the weekend.”

Dani lifted her eyebrows at the remark. It was delivered as a teasing comment but from the tone it was delivered in, it was obvious Viola was still trying to impress her by boasting about her assets and wealth.

Rather than giving Viola the reaction she clearly sought – a gasp of surprise and a flurry of questions about Paris, Dani just let out a small chuckle. “Yeah that would have also been a no.”

Viola pursed her lips before taking a sip of her drink. Her gaze continued to pierce Dani with an intensity unlike any she’d ever experienced. It was as if she was trying to draw Dani to her through the strength of her stare alone.

“So,” Viola began as she set her glass down with a firm thud that gave away her vexation with Dani’s continued rejection of her advances. “How does one get to know Dani Clayton, then?”

Dani wasn’t expecting the question and she began to fidget nervously with her glass. “Uh, I guess just through talking to me?” She let out a small laugh as if it had been a joke and not an attempt to avoid giving Viola an answer to what she was really asking. “I’m not trying to be difficult; I actually really enjoy getting to know new people. I just want it to be clear that I’m only looking for friendship and nothing more than that.”

The corners of Viola’s mouth turned down in displeasure as she processed Dani’s comment. “Friendship?” She questioned as if testing out the word. “I’m confused. Peter told me that you’re a les-”

“I am,” Dani said quickly, interrupting Viola as she hastily glanced around to make sure no one was listening in to their conversation. “I just…I’m not looking for anyone _romantically_ right now.”

Viola let her gaze wander over Dani as if she was a particularly complex puzzle she was trying to piece together. “And why is that?”

This was the question Dani had been hoping to avoid. If Viola had been some stranger who approached her in a bar, Dani would have no trouble saying she already had a girlfriend, or if she was being slightly more truthful, someone she was very much interested in; someone she cared about deeply. However, it wasn’t that simple. She had to assume that whatever she told Viola would make its way back to Peter and Rebecca, even if the couple wasn’t paying the slightest bit of attention to their current conversation.

Part of Dani considered using the excuse anyway. Rebecca was a good enough friend not to contradict her in front of the others and if she questioned it later, Dani could claim it was just an attempt to put an end to Viola’s advances. On the other hand, Rebecca was smart. One of the most intelligent people Dani had ever met. It was entirely possible that Rebecca might take Dani’s utter lack of interest in a wealthy and eligible bachelorette, her excuse of having a girlfriend, and whatever nervous nonverbal cues Dani was sure to give off when Rebecca questioned her about it to conclude that Dani did in fact have someone in her life. Then the real interrogation would begin.

Dani decided it was ultimately too risky to use the girlfriend excuse. Part of her was also reluctant to use it on principle alone – she shouldn’t have to make up an excuse for Viola to accept that she simply wasn’t interested in her.

Dani flipped her hair over her shoulder and straightened her posture. “I suppose I’m just not interested in that right now. I’m still adjusting to living in England and I’m focused on my job. The only thing I want to add to all that right now is friendship.”

Viola hummed in consideration before lifting her glass, “To friendship then.”

Surprise flashed across Dani’s features before she lifted her glass to join in the toast. She still didn’t trust Viola’s intentions, far from it, but she hoped for a brief break from the nonstop flirtation.

The conversation shifted to somewhat lighter matters. Dani got Viola talking about herself, a topic Viola readily took to, allowing Dani the chance to half-listen, half-drift away in thoughts about Jamie. She found that even thinking about Jamie brought a small smile to her face, making it seem like she was enjoying listening to Viola more than she actually was.

Eventually, Rebecca joined into the conversation while Peter leaned back and sipped his drink. He seemed miffed that Rebecca’s attention was not solely focused on him anymore. Dani, however, was appreciative for Rebecca jumping back into the conversation as it was getting harder and harder to pretend she was interested in Viola’s boasting.

“Shall I order us another round?” Viola asked as she eyed the empty glass Dani set on the table as she finished off the last of her drink.

“Oh, uh, that’s okay,” Dani shook her head. She neither wanted another drink nor did she want Viola to spend money on her and make this feel like a date.

“I insist. The night is still young,” Viola said as she leaned close to Dani under the guise of trying to get the attention of the waitress.

Dani frantically met Rebecca’s gaze, hoping her friend would remember that she’d only committed to one more drink. A drink she’d now finished and she was more than ready to be on her way.

Rebecca held her gaze for a moment before glancing between Viola and Peter, “I was thinking we could actually pay our bill here and then go to that cute little pub near my flat.”

Dani furrowed her brow in a mix of frustration and confusion as Rebecca proposed continuing the evening. That was the last thing she wanted to do. However, Rebecca shot her a reassuring smile as if sensing her apprehension before she turned back to wait for the others to respond.

“The pub where we ended up in the bathroom when you couldn’t keep your hands off me?” Peter asked with a smirk as he wrapped an arm around Rebecca’s waist to pull her closer.

Dani crinkled her nose in disgust at the thought. She hadn’t been excited about the idea to begin with, but was even less inclined to join after Peter’s last remark.

Rebecca averted her gaze to hide her flustered reaction as she tried to put some distance between her and Peter. “That’s the one,” she replied with a voice laden with embarrassment.

“Hmm sounds promising,” Viola purred as she lifted her glass to her lips to finish her drink as she looked over at Dani.

Apparently, the toast to friendship was already forgotten and Viola was back to eagerly pursuing Dani. The waitress appeared at the table and Viola handed over her card to cover the table’s tab.

“Oh, I can cover my drinks,” Dani offered as she reached for her purse.

Viola chuckled as she reached over to place a hand over Dani’s, stilling them on her bag. “Don’t be silly, Dani. It’s my treat.”

Dani tried to gently remove her hands from beneath Viola’s grasp. She didn’t feel comfortable with Viola covering the tab, but then again, she’d made it clear at multiple times throughout the evening that she had money to spare. Besides, neither Peter nor Rebecca seemed to bat an eye at the generous gesture.

Dani sighed before offering a small smile, “Thank you, that’s very nice of you.”

“My pleasure,” Viola said as she reached over to run her hand over the sleeve of Dani’s coat, which Dani only then realized she’d never bothered to take off. She wondered if she’d subconsciously kept it on so she could bolt from the uncomfortable situation at a moment’s notice. “Maybe at the next place you’ll be comfortable enough to take this off. I’d love to see what’s underneath.”

Dani didn’t even have to look over to know that Viola’s gaze was traveling over her, trying to picture what was under her coat – and likely under her clothes as well. She shied away from giving a response as she slowly sipped the melted ice in her glass to stall for time until the waitress returned with the check. Once the bill was signed, Dani was the first up, purse in hand as she zipped her coat up further.

Before Dani could lead the way outside, Rebecca wrapped a hand around her arm to hold her back while Viola and Peter headed out of the bar.

“I thought that you might have had a sudden urgent reason why you can’t go on to the pub with us,” Rebecca whispered with a conspiratorial wink.

A wide, relieved grin spread across Dani’s face as she realized this was Rebecca’s way to give her an easy out as the group changed venues. “Thank you,” she murmured as she reached over to give Rebecca’s hand a friendly squeeze.

“Least I can do after dragging you out tonight for this,” Rebecca explained as she led them towards the exit. “I truly am sorry. I thought you and Viola might hit it off – keep in mind, I’ve never met her before tonight. I had no idea she would be quite so…forward.”

Dani laughed at what seemed to be the word of the evening to define Viola. It seemed to be an understatement though. Jamie had been forward. Viola was downright aggressive in her approach.

They stepped outside of the bar to see the other half of the group waiting on the sidewalk.

“There you are,” Peter huffed before turning to start leading the group to their next destination.

“I’m actually going to head out.”

Viola turned at Dani’s comment, while Peter paused but didn’t turn. Instead, he dug in his pockets for a pack of cigarettes and his lighter.

“What?” Viola asked as she took a few steps toward Dani with an incredulous expression. “Why?”

A few possible excuses flitted through Dani’s mind before she settled on one that wasn’t exactly original, but was unlikely to lead to many follow up questions. “I’m not feeling very well.” She offered a tight, sheepish smile as if she was embarrassed to be discussing her ill health. “So I’m just going to head home and make some tea. Call it an early night.”

Viola’s frown deepened before she took another step forward. “I’ll walk you home then.”

“No!” Dani answered a little too quickly, causing Viola’s eyebrows to raise in surprise at the outburst. “I mean, thank you. But that’s not necessary. I don’t live very far and you…you don’t know the area, so you should head to the pub with the others.”

“She really doesn’t live far, she’ll be fine,” Rebecca agreed in her attempt to help Dani make a clean exit.

Viola’s lips drew tightly together in a thin line that showed her dissatisfaction over the current situation. “Well, I suppose I should say goodnight then.”

Dani gave a reluctant nod and watched as Viola gave Rebecca a look silently indicating she wished for a private moment with Dani. Rebecca glanced her way to gauge her comfort level and Dani gave a slight nod to reassure her she was okay.

As soon as Rebecca wandered off to join her boyfriend, Viola moved closer to eliminate the remaining distance between them.

“I must say, this night didn’t go how I expected.”

“Yeah, I, uh…I’m sorry about that,” Dani apologized. Although as a rule she tried not to apologize when she hadn’t done anything wrong, she knew that she’d been rather rude and miserable all night. “You came all this way and I wasn’t exactly the best company tonight.”

Viola’s intense gaze searched her face for a moment before her lips quirked up into a smile. “I wouldn’t say that. You were actually the best company I’ve had in a while. I have to say, the ‘playing hard to get’ thing…it’s really working for me.”

“The…what?” Dani asked as she looked at Viola in disbelief.

“It’s so difficult coming from such a well-known family,” Viola continued with a sigh. “My whole life, I’ve had people throwing themselves at me because they want the status or the benefits that go along with dating a Lloyd. Although, I suppose I shouldn’t sell myself short – that’s not the only thing people are interested in.” Viola gave Dani a smug smile as she pushed her long, dark hair over her shoulder.

Dani resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Viola’s attempt to gain pity because she was simply too wealthy and too many people wanted her.

“So, I must admit, it’s rather…refreshing. I’ll be honest, I didn’t expect much from an American teacher but you…well, you have my interest.”

Dani wasn’t sure if Viola was even aware that she had just insulted her by admitting she hadn’t been expecting much. She couldn’t find it in her to care though – she was much more concerned with convincing Viola that she didn’t have any intention of seeing her again.

“Viola,” Dani began with her no-nonsense teacher voice, “I’m not playing any sort of game here. I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m just not interested.”

“Sure…you’re not interested,” Viola said with a nod, her smirk unwavering as she opened her clutch. She extracted a business card and held it out to Dani. “Give me a call when you want to do this again. Or when you want to see Brighton…or Paris.”

Dani bit back a sigh as she plucked the card from Viola’s fingers. As much as she didn’t want her number, she knew it would ultimately save time and bring this conversation to a quicker end if she just went along with it.

“It was so nice meeting you, Dani,” Viola said as she reached a hand up to brush her blonde hair back, her fingers tracing down over her jawline. “You really are quite beautiful. I hope to hear from you soon.”

A quick step back allowed Dani to draw in a breath and kept her from flinching away from Viola’s touch. “Nice meeting you too. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

As Dani took another step back, she caught Rebecca’s eye and gave her friend a farewell wave before she turned on her heel and quickly made her getaway.

All the way back to her flat, Dani replayed the events of the evening as a scowl formed on her face. She didn’t think it was possible for an evening with Peter Quint to go even _worse_ than she’d imagined, but it really had. Dani knew a long shower was in order as soon as she got home to wash away the lingering unease that accompanied Viola’s lascivious looks.

Dani took pleasure in ripping up Viola’s business card into tiny pieces, having no intention of ever using it. She deposited them in a bin on her way home, feeling the slightest bit better at ridding herself of the physical reminder of her horrible evening.

The only thought that brought a smile to Dani’s face as she let herself into her flat was that in a matter of hours, Jamie would be at her door, ready to spend the entire day with her. Just the thought of Jamie eased the frustration that had been building all evening. Her charming smile, the flirty banter, her playful comments, the affection that shone brightly in her captivating eyes.

Only ten hours until Jamie was set to arrive at her flat. Ten hours and Jamie would be in her arms again and the irritation of her evening with Peter and Viola would be but a distant memory. A grin appeared on Dani’s face for the first time that evening. Ten hours until _Jamie_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how are we feeling?
> 
> I don't think people were too pleased with my little visual of poor Jamie waiting on the doorstep in the last chapter. The 'Jamie Defense Squad' has even been formed (I requested membership, but have been informed it's conditional seeing that I'm the one putting her through this, which...I mean, that's fair). I have decided I'm making the Dani Defense Squad because she's just a nervous little bean.
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading, leaving kudos, and commenting on the last chapter. The amount of people checking in/wishing me well after I mentioned I wasn't feeling well last week blew me away. You all melt my heart and make me so happy. I'm fine btw and I'm feeling much better this week! Thank you to everyone entertaining me with your comments on here and on tumblr! And to the lovely people on twitter, I hear you were cursed with my terrible drawings of the layout of Dani's flat and Jamie's house. I'm so sorry you had to be exposed to my awful artistic ability, but I hope it was amusing :)


	30. Chapter 30

All Dani knew about Jamie’s arrival time was that she was planning on getting there ‘early’. So, Dani made sure to wake up extra early to give herself time to get ready. She knew it was largely an unnecessary effort; Jamie would find her beautiful no matter how she fixed her hair and her clothes would likely be on for less time than it took to pick them out. Regardless, it had been a week since she’d seen Jamie and she wanted to look good. Especially after the Thanksgiving fiasco, which she fully intended on making up to Jamie.

It turned out waking up ‘extra early’ had been the right call. No sooner had Dani finished applying her lipstick, a loud knock at her door echoed through her flat. With an excited grin, she hurried to the front door and hastily pulled it open.

“Hi,” she greeted Jamie, her gaze immediately falling to Jamie’s equally eager smile.

“Good morning, Poppins,” Jamie returned the greeting as she leaned in for a chaste kiss on the cheek. Dani was briefly disappointed by the location of the kiss until she realized Jamie was just being mindful of the fact her front door was still wide open. She waited until Jamie had fully entered her flat before she shut the door and locked it for good measure.

“You want to try that kiss hello again?” Dani challenged with a raised eyebrow as she fixed Jamie with a smirk.

Jamie’s smile widened as she easily closed the distance between them, her hands coming up to rest on Dani’s waist as she claimed her lips in a proper kiss.

Dani released a content sigh at the feeling of Jamie’s lips on her own and raised her hands to slide into Jamie’s soft brown curls to hold her close. She slipped her tongue into Jamie’s mouth, delighting in the answering moan and firmer grip on her hips.

As she melted into the familiar sensation of Jamie’s mouth moving against hers, Dani reflected on how _right_ it felt. Although a week was entirely too long to have gone without Jamie’s kisses, every time Jamie’s lips pressed against hers, it was as if no time had passed. She was flooded with varying degrees of warmth, joy, excitement, and tranquility. Jamie’s kisses soothed the ache of missing her while simultaneously stoking the flames of desire that sparked to life whenever Dani laid eyes on her.

Eventually, she pulled away from the temptingly full lips, but didn’t put any distance between them as she rested her forehead against Jamie’s.

“Was that kiss up to your standards?” Jamie murmured, a teasing smirk playing on her lips as she gently squeezed her hips.

Dani hummed her agreement as she nipped at her lower lip before soothing it with a sweet peck. She was all too aware that the situation could quickly escalate if she let it. However, there was something Dani wanted to do before they got too caught up in one another so she forced herself to take a step back. She bit her lip to hold in a laugh at how crestfallen Jamie looked at the distance between them. Her hand darted out to grab Jamie’s as she walked toward the kitchen, pulling Jamie along with her.

“I wasn’t sure if you already had breakfast, but I thought we could start off with a little treat,” Dani explained as she flipped open the lid to the bakery box Jamie had dropped off on Thursday.

Dani glanced over in time to see Jamie’s gaze dart over to the clock on the wall before returning to Dani’s face. Her brows drew together to illustrate her confusion, “You…want to have that now?”

“Mhmm,” Dani confirmed as she reached into the drawer for a knife. “Why? Are you too good for pie in the morning?”

Jamie chuckled as she moved behind Dani and wrapped her arms around her waist. “Definitely not too good…just didn’t expect a teacher to be such a bad influence. Pie for breakfast. What’re you gonna try to get me to do next?”

Dani laughed at the response and shot a smirk over her shoulder, “Now why would I tell you that?” She added a flirty wink to really get Jamie going, grinning at the way Jamie’s hold tightened, pressing her even closer into the body behind her.

“You’re in quite a mood today,” Jamie observed as she reached a hand up to sweep Dani’s hair away from her neck before covering the newly exposed skin with kisses. “I love it.”

Dani leaned back further into the embrace and closed her eyes as she focused on the feeling of Jamie’s lips on her neck. She couldn’t deny the truth of Jamie’s assessment – she _was_ in a mood, a flirtatious and eager mood that was attributable to missing Jamie throughout the week; especially after the miserable evening she’d had the night before.

“Can you get some plates?” Dani asked gently, not wanting Jamie to stop what she was doing, but knowing the sooner they had their unconventional breakfast, the sooner they could focus on other activities.

Jamie placed a final, lingering kiss over her pulse point before pulling away to get plates from the cabinet.

Dani couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face as she realized Jamie was familiar enough with her flat to know exactly where to find the dishes without asking.

“Do you want me to make some coffee?” She asked as she dished two slices of apple pie onto the plates Jamie handed over.

“I can make tea.”

Dani smirked at the way Jamie dodged her question. “You really don’t like my coffee, do you?”

“I like _you_ ,” Jamie replied as she began filling the kettle with water.

“That’s not what I asked.”

“I know.”

A joyful laugh escaped Dani as she watched Jamie move around her kitchen with ease to get two mugs ready for tea. “Is my coffee really that bad?”

Jamie paused before continuing on her path to get the milk from the fridge. “It’s better than your tea.”

Dani huffed out a surprised laugh, “You never even tried my tea! I tried to make it once and you shooed me away to redo it.”

“I didn’t need to try it to know what you were doing to that tea was just plain wrong. Trust me, your coffee is better.”

Dani wasn’t offended in the slightest as she silently observed Jamie preparing the tea. She knew she wasn’t the best at making tea or coffee, but she found that she didn’t mind as long as Jamie was around to do it for her. Maybe someday she would learn, but for now she was content to watch Jamie make herself at home in her kitchen.

When Jamie was finished, she picked up the mugs and Dani grabbed the plates of pie before leading the way into the living room. Dani settled onto the couch and tucked her legs beneath her as Jamie took a seat beside her, close enough to maintain some physical contact as their thighs pressed close.

“Thank you for the pie,” Dani said as she lifted her fork to her mouth. She was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the dessert and smiled around her mouthful of pie at Jamie.

Jamie grinned as she dug into her own dessert. “No need to thank me. I’m just sorry I didn’t plan it all a little better.”

“We’ve been over this,” Dani reminded her gently as she nudged Jamie’s leg with her own. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I love that you wanted to surprise me. It’s my fault I didn’t tell you I was going to be out.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Jamie insisted as she took another bite of pie. “Just bad timing. It happens.”

Dani nodded and curled closer to Jamie as she finished the pie. After setting the empty plate down on the coffee table, she grabbed her mug and leaned back, shifting to properly face Jamie. Her guilt over not being upfront with Jamie about her Thanksgiving plans had been eating away at her since Thursday night and she knew it was time to start being more open and honest. If she wanted this thing between them to have a chance of working – and she did – she knew she had to be better about communicating with Jamie.

“I should have told you about my plans on Thursday,” Dani began in a tone that indicated she didn’t want Jamie to try to alleviate her guilty conscience. “I know it’s weird that I didn’t and I…I thought about telling you. It’s just that I was worried you might be, well, not _upset_ , but I just thought you’d want to know why I haven’t told my friends about you.”

“Dani,” Jamie cut in as she adjusted her position to face the nervous blonde. “I told you on Thursday. You should hang out with your friends whenever you want. You don’t owe me an explanation or anything.”

“No, I know,” Dani said with a nod. “But when people…hang out like we do, they should tell each other those things.”

“Hang out?” Jamie teased, a smirk spreading across her face over the way Dani awkwardly dodged defining their relationship. “I admit, it would have been nice to know about your plans, but I get that this…thing between us is complicated for you.”

Dani nodded, grateful that Jamie was so understanding. “Yeah, it is. Well, I mean, _this_ ,” she waved a hand between her and Jamie, “Isn’t complicated, it’s amazing. But, the fact you were just a student…it isn’t great. I mean, all of my friends in this town work at the school. They know you, Jamie. Well, Hannah and Owen do anyway. I don’t think Rebecca knows who you are.”

She paused to sip her tea as she tried to figure out where she was going with her explanation. “I guess I’m just trying to say that it’s a weird situation and I’ve probably been going about it all wrong. And I’m sorry for that.”

Jamie offered her a small smile as she reached over to squeeze the hand that wasn’t gripping her mug. “You don’t have to apologize. Sounds like a pretty shit situation.” Jamie paused and ducked her head shyly. “Probably doesn’t help I wasn’t exactly a model student. I can only imagine the opinion your friends have of me.”

“I don’t care about that,” Dani said with a shake of her head. “But I don’t think they have a bad opinion of you.” She thought back to her encounter with Hannah and Owen at the restaurant the week before. They’d both been surprised to learn she was friends with Jamie, but neither of them seemed to dislike her. In fact, Hannah seemed rather fond of the Taylors, especially Mikey. Owen had been particularly supportive of her ‘friendship’ with Jamie, even suggesting that Dani invite her to Thanksgiving dinner.

However, she didn’t want to waste time speculating about her friends’ opinion of Jamie. At the end of the day, Dani didn’t care if they didn’t think highly of her – she knew that Jamie was wonderful in just about every way and she couldn’t ask for anyone better. Her friends would see that in time, if they didn’t see those good traits in Jamie already.

“Besides,” she began with a smirk as she attempted to shift the conversation in a slightly more lighthearted direction. “Compared to Peter, you look like a saint. There’s absolutely no way they like him more than you.”

Jamie chuckled at the comment before she took a sip her tea. Her eyes lit up with recognition as she fixed Dani with a sympathetic smile. “That’s right, you had to see him last night. How’d it go?”

Dani let out an exasperated sigh as she set her mug on the table. She was still irritated over the events of the night before and she didn’t want to risk sending tea everywhere if her angry gesticulations got a little too out of control.

“It was awful,” she admitted honestly as she shifted closer to Jamie. “It would have been bad enough if it was just drinks with Peter and Rebecca like I was expecting, but then they had to go and make it even worse by failing to tell me they were attempting to set me up with Peter’s insufferably vain friend.”

“They didn’t,” Jamie gasped as her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Dani nodded miserably, “They did. I know Rebecca meant well, and she’d never met Viola before…but seriously, that woman was the female version of Peter.”

“Aww baby,” Jamie cooed as she reached out to wrap an arm around Dani and pull her into her side in a one-armed embrace. “What made her so awful?”

Dani cuddled closer and failed to hide her smile at the term of endearment. Unfortunately, the memories of last night were an all too effective mood killer and she let out a sigh as they played on a loop through her mind.

“Well, I feel like ‘the female version of Peter’ really summed it up, but I guess it might not be that helpful for you since you don’t know him. She was just annoyingly arrogant right off the bat. She immediately checked me out like she was trying to figure out if I was up to her standards. And she was so forward! Like, aggressively forward.” Dani threw in the qualifier to differentiate Viola’s behavior from Jamie’s. While Jamie’s bold comments had flustered Dani on more than one occasion, there was an underlying charm to it that was absent in the remarks Viola had made.

Jamie’s hold on Dani tightened ever so slightly, but enough for Dani to notice. She could tell it was a reaction to her description of Viola as being very forward, but she wasn’t sure if it had been an intentional reaction or not. She tried to hide her smirk, finding it pretty adorable – especially since she knew Jamie wasn’t a jealous or possessive person.

“Did she make you uncomfortable?” Jamie asked, the concern evident in her voice as she tucked a strand of Dani’s hair behind her ear.

Dani didn’t need to consider the question for long before she nodded in reply. “A little, yeah. More than a little, actually. I tried to send a very clear message that I wasn’t interested. I even told her as much, but she wouldn’t be deterred. I think she enjoyed it; said she liked that I was playing hard to get because she was used to women throwing themselves at her.” Dani rolled her eyes as she reflected on the cocky comment.

Jamie let out an amused snort at Dani’s exasperation. “Was she actually anything special or did she just think she was?”

“I mean…I can see why some women might be all over her,” Dani conceded with a half shrug. “She’s attractive and certainly confident, well…maybe more conceited than confident. I think a lot of people put up with it because of her money. Or rather, her family’s money.”

“Ah, she’s from money,” Jamie said with a nod as she shifted to better see Dani. The change in position as Jamie leaned against the arm of the couch put some distance between them. However, Dani tried not to read anything into it other than Jamie just not being able to properly look at her when they were cuddled up side-by-side.

“Yeah, her family owns Lloyd’s department store? Which I honestly had never heard of before last night. I think she was a bit offended that I had no idea who she was.”

“Wait, you went out with Viola Lloyd?” Jamie asked as she pieced together the first name Dani had mentioned earlier with the family last name.

“I wouldn’t say I ‘went out’ with her,” Dani clarified, “But I was set up with her, yeah. Why? Do you know who she is?”

Jamie huffed out a shocked laugh, “Everyone knows who the Lloyds are. Disgustingly rich family guided more by wealth than morals.”

That assessment didn’t surprise Dani in the least. She could have guessed as much after the limited time she spent around Viola. “She tried to act like her wealth and status were such burdens, but I could tell she thrives off the attention.”

“You said she liked you more because you didn’t know who she was?” Jamie asked with a confused expression.

“Well, yeah, I guess,” Dani cocked her head to the side as she considered it. “I think she liked the challenge. I wasn’t interested and she was determined to change my mind. Although she was so arrogant that she really thought I was intentionally doing it to get her to chase me.”

“You weren’t interested though?” Jamie asked in a tone that was far from accusing. Her expression was curious and laced with a hint of concern.

“Of course not,” Dani insisted as she reached over to take Jamie’s hand in hers. “Not only did I find her bloated ego a huge turn off, but it wasn’t like I went out last night wanting to meet anyone. I had no idea it was a set up or I would have told Rebecca not to bother.” She bit her lip before she met Jamie’s troubled gaze. “Besides, there’s already someone I’m very, very interested in. Someone who has everything I’m looking for and then some.”

Jamie smiled at the response and dropped her gaze to their clasped hands. She stroked her thumb over Dani’s knuckles as silence settled over them.

“Are you okay?” Dani asked, worried by the uncharacteristic lack of response from Jamie. She reflected on what they’d been discussing in an attempt to pinpoint what could have upset Jamie. “I really didn’t know Viola was going to be there last night – I thought I had just signed up for drinks with Peter and Rebecca, which was going to be its own special torture. But I had no idea they wanted to turn it into a double date or I wouldn’t have gone.”

“No, I believe you,” Jamie said as she glanced up with a reassuring smile as she squeezed Dani’s hand before dropping her gaze again. There was a brief pause before she shook her head as if trying to clear whatever thoughts were going through her mind. “It’s just…you were out with Viola Lloyd, you know?”

Dani frowned because she wasn’t following what Jamie was saying. She could tell there was something bothering her and she wanted to understand. “No, I don’t think I do know,” she said cautiously, “Is it something about her? Or…something else?”

Jamie snared her lower lip between her teeth and shook her head again, as if frustrated that she wasn’t able to clearly translate her thoughts to Dani. “The Lloyds have all this money…and their reputation, of course. Even if I think they’re awful people, there’s no denying that kind of money and power gets them stuff.”

Although Dani could generally follow what Jamie was saying, she was still confused about why she seemed so bothered by it. She focused on the money aspect of it all and wondered if that had something to do with Jamie’s sudden down mood.

“You know I don’t care about any of that, right? They money and status…that’s honestly not for me. It was really annoying how much she was trying to play that up last night.” Dani resisted the urge to roll her eyes again and instead just shook her head. “She was trying to get me to come stay at her place in Brighton and then started talking about her flat in Paris. It was so ostentatious and just gross. I’m sure there are plenty of women who are into that, but I am definitely not one of them. I care way more about a person’s character than the size of their bank account.”

“I know, Poppins,” Jamie said as she lifted her other hand to stroke over Dani’s cheek. Her fingers traced along her cheekbone before gliding down along her jaw. Jamie’s eyes searched her face in a way that made Dani feel like it was her first time seeing her – her gaze felt reverent, but cautious. There was a hesitation in her touch and concern reflected in her eyes that was new and Dani wasn’t sure what had caused it.

“Jamie, what’s going on?” Dani asked softly as she tried to figure out what was behind her unusual behavior.

Jamie lifted her gaze to meet Dani’s and gave her a small smile – a smile that wasn’t reflected in her conflicted eyes. “Nothing,” she replied as she gave Dani’s hand a little squeeze and dropped her other hand from her cheek. “I’m sorry you didn’t have a good night.”

“Yeah…it was pretty awful,” Dani agreed, although she was far from convinced that’s all that was on Jamie’s mind. She hoped that if she could lighten the strangely tense mood, it might be enough to ease the cloud of concern that seemed to be hovering over Jamie.

“Honestly, the only thing that got me through last night was knowing I’d get to spend the day with you,” Dani continued with a wide smile as she used the hand not clasped in Jamie’s to stroke over her thigh.

Jamie smirked and ducked her head. “Yeah?”

Dani nodded; her eyes lighting up with excitement as she hoped that Jamie was pulling out of whatever was bothering her. She leaned forward, her hand traveling up Jamie’s thigh until she reached her hip. Jamie’s head lifted as Dani continued moving forward. When she was only inches away, she could see the traces of apprehension that still haunted Jamie’s delicate features. Dani tried to ignore the worry settling heavily into her own stomach as she gently captured Jamie’s lips in a sweet kiss.

Jamie returned the kiss, much to Dani’s relief. The feel of Jamie’s lips moving against her own was enough to settle her worry – that is, until Jamie pulled away.

Dani opened her eyes to see the tight smile on Jamie’s face that she could tell was an attempt to reassure her; however, the forced smile did little to serve its intended purpose. She leaned back as her gaze swept over Jamie’s face in search of answers to the questions flitting through her mind.

“Jamie.” Dani caught the impatience that crept into her voice as she attempted to convey that she wasn’t going to let her shy away from whatever was going on. “Talk to me.”

“First you wanna talk, then you kiss me, then you wanna talk again,” Jamie teased, “It’s getting a bit hard to keep up.”

Dani didn’t take the bait of the playfully dismissive comment as she fixed Jamie with a look that indicated she wasn’t going to be easily distracted.

Jamie sighed as she released her hold on Dani’s hand under the guise of combing her fingers through her hair, even though her other hand was resting in her own lap. “Honestly, there’s nothing going on. I just, I don’t feel too well. I think it might have been the pie.”

Dani tried to maintain her patience as Jamie cracked another joke with her usual smirk. “The pie?” She asked in a tone that conveyed her disbelief.

“Yeah, must have got a bad one or something. Sorry about that. Or maybe it’s the tea – could be my tea making skills are just as shite as yours.”

The excuses were weak and they only caused Dani’s confusion to grow as she tried to figure out what was really behind the odd behavior. “Well, I feel fine,” she insisted as she called Jamie’s bluff.

“Stronger stomach, perhaps,” Jamie dismissed the comment with a shrug. “You Yanks with your junk food – must have built up a tolerance. Or your stomach has a nice protective lining of pure grease.”

Dani rolled her eyes and tried to hide her amused smile at the joke. A drawn-out silence stretched between them as Dani sat and patiently waited for Jamie to offer a more substantial explanation. However, when Jamie instead seemed much more focused on picking at a loose thread on her jeans, Dani covered the fidgeting hand with one of her own until Jamie looked up.

“Can you just tell me what’s wrong? Is it…are you upset I went out last night? Or rather, that I was on a date, I guess, even though I had no say in the matter.” She paused as she drew her lower lip between her teeth and tried to gauge Jamie’s response to what she was saying. If Jamie refused to verbalize what was bothering her, she hoped she could read something from her nonverbal reactions.

“I know I should have left,” Dani continued when she couldn’t read anything from Jamie’s expression. “I should have gone home when I found out they were trying to set me up with her. I could have called you and asked you to come over, or I – ”

“Dani,” Jamie cut her off with a hand gently squeezing her knee. “It’s fine, honestly. I promise you, I’m not upset. I’m glad you stayed. Well, I mean, it sounds like it was an awful night for you. But I’m sure it meant a lot to your friend.”

Dani nodded slowly, her brow furrowing at the patience in Jamie’s voice. It was almost infuriating how hard she was to read. It was obvious that _something_ was wrong, but she couldn’t figure out what it was.

“You know I’m really not interested in her though, right? Nothing happened. I didn’t flirt with her or anything.” Dani explained in a firm tone imploring Jamie to believe her.

Jamie gave her another tight smile and a nod, “Told you before, I believe you. You say you’re not interested in her, then you’re not interested.”

Despite the words that sounded like something Dani wanted to hear, there was no denying they didn’t match her actions as she shifted away from Dani. She reached over to rest a hand on Jamie’s shoulder, only she barely made contact before Jamie stood up and her hand slipped down to the cushion.

“I’m sorry to put such a damper on the day, but I’m really feeling ill,” Jamie said by way of explanation as she took a few steps away from the couch.

Dani got to her feet to trail after Jamie. She still didn’t believe the ‘not feeling well’ excuse, but she figured on the off-chance Jamie was telling the truth, she didn’t want to seem like she wasn’t concerned.

“Can I get you anything?” Dani asked as she caught up and moved in front of Jamie, lifting a hand to her forehead to check for a fever. “Medicine or water or…well, I was going to offer tea, but that might make it worse.” She offered with a slight smile, hoping to ease the nervous energy that was radiating off of Jamie.

Jamie huffed out a laugh but shook her head. “Yeah, that might just kill me,” she teased back before stepping back and out of reach of Dani’s hand. “Think I just need to go home and rest for a while.”

“You could rest here,” Dani suggested as she followed Jamie who was already on the move again. “You can take a nap in my bed. I promise I won’t bother you, unless, you know, you want me to cuddle up with you, because I’d be more than happy to do that. For the whole day, if you want.”

Dani watched as Jamie shut her eyes tightly and shook her head, her expression almost pained. “No, I appreciate the offer, but…it’s best I head out. Don’t want to get you sick too in case whatever I have is contagious.”

The urge to call Jamie on her ridiculous excuse was almost irrepressible, but Dani found she was afraid to do so. Whatever was going on, it was clear Jamie didn’t want to talk about it. She’d given her ample opportunity to talk and Jamie had dodged every attempt to get her to open up.

“Okay, well, you’re free to go if you want to, obviously,” Dani conceded in a sad tone that she knew conveyed how much she wanted Jamie to stay. “But just…you promise you’re really not mad at me? Because if you are, please tell me and I’ll try to make it up to you somehow.”

“I _promise_ I’m not mad at you,” Jamie insisted as she turned to face her. The sincerity in her voice was enough to alleviate Dani’s concern, but there was still something else in those expressive and beautiful eyes that Dani couldn’t quite put her finger on.

“Okay…” she trailed off with a sigh. As Jamie turned away from her again to continue toward the door, Dani frantically racked her brain for the missing piece to the puzzle that would help her figure out what was going on with Jamie.

Her mind latched onto a stray thought, or memory perhaps. The conversation she’d cut off a week before; Jamie’s hopeful expression as she inquired about being labeled Dani’s girlfriend. Another memory of a similarly hopeful expression a week earlier in Jamie’s bedroom as she expressed her willingness to adopt a proper label for what they were doing.

Dani wondered if her previous reluctance to define their relationship had anything to do with Jamie’s current state. If it was, the solution was obvious. Moreover, it was easy. Better still, it was something she _wanted_ to do. After the previous night’s disaster with Viola, Dani was only too aware of how lucky she’d been to stumble upon someone as incredible as Jamie. Her previous fear and nerves over telling her friends had settled to a dull roar – it was something that had to be dealt with, yes, but that didn’t mean she had to do it on her own. With Jamie by her side, all of the barriers that still remained in their path seemed much more able manageable and she wasn’t sure why she wasn’t able to see that before.

“Jamie,” she tried again, catching her wrist and causing her to turn before she reached the door. “If this is about…” she trailed off, knowing that wasn’t how she wanted to start this discussion. “I know I’ve been putting off talking about _us_ , but I think, no, I _know_ that I’m ready to talk about it. I want to talk about it. And I – ”

“Dani,” Jamie interrupted with a shake of her head. “Don’t mean to be rude and all, I’m just not feeling well. I really should head out.”

Dani’s brows knitted together with confusion and concern. She certainly wasn’t expecting Jamie to interrupt _that_ conversation. A hint of rejection and disappointment crept in to mingle with the other emotions competing for her attention and she wondered if this was how Jamie felt during the times she’d been the one to end the conversation. Then again, she was fairly certain she hadn’t been as blunt about it. Jamie had at least known where her hesitation was coming from, but in this situation…Dani had absolutely no idea what was going on with the woman standing in front of her.

Her eyes searched Jamie’s face for any clue as to what she could do to make things better between them. However, she came up empty as Jamie seemed to be trying to maintain a neutral expression. Her jaw was clenched a little too tight and her eyes were unable to hide the regret mixed with sadness and something else that Dani still couldn’t identify.

“Yeah…okay,” Dani whispered as she chewed her lower lip. She knew her tortured lip would likely be swollen later, but not for the reasons it usually ended up that way when she was around Jamie. “Can you…um, call me when you get home? Like usual. So I know you’re okay.”

“Of course,” Jamie said with a curt nod, as if it was a request she had already planned on doing. Perhaps it was, but Dani found she couldn’t be sure. In fact, she wasn’t sure Jamie would actually call at all, not when she was acting so strangely.

“And we can reschedule sometime soon? Maybe one evening this week we can have dinner and we can talk about us and make this more offic-”

“Yeah, sometime soon,” Jamie agreed, cutting Dani off before she could finish her thought.

Dani frowned, feeling the hurt flare up at the way Jamie didn’t seem to have any interest in labeling their relationship all of the sudden. Something was wrong, really, really wrong. Unfortunately, short of trapping Jamie in her apartment and trying to force an explanation out of her, Dani was at a loss for what to do.

“Okay, well…I hope you feel better.” Dani still didn’t believe for a second that Jamie was feeling ill; however, that seemed to be the excuse Jamie was sticking with.

“Thanks, Poppins,” Jamie said with a flash of a smile before she was pulling the door open and heading out into the hallway.

Dani stood in the doorway and watched her go. She remained there for several minutes after; long after she knew was Jamie gone. It wasn’t that she expected Jamie to come running back, but rather that she felt rooted in place due to her overwhelming confusion.

Eventually, she withdrew into her flat and shut the door. Dani tried to busy herself by cleaning up the dishes from the pie and tea, but unfortunately the mindless tasks did little to distract her from her messy, swirling thoughts. Her mind conjured up numerous other ways the situation could have played out; other things she could have said to get Jamie to open up to her. Things she could have done to get her to stay.

Despite all the hypotheticals she let play out in her mind, she couldn’t help but recall the way Jamie had seemed so determined to leave, no matter what she said or did. She was fairly certain she could have stripped off all her clothes and begged Jamie to take her to bed and she still would have left. Or at least, left immediately _after_ if her baser instincts had won out.

She busied herself with straightening up her apartment to try to distract from her concerns, which only seemed to multiply with each minute that ticked by. Her gaze would wander over to the silent and still phone and she’d throw herself into cleaning her kitchen counters or refolding the blanket over the back of the couch for the fifth time.

When the ring of the phone finally cut through the silence of the apartment, Dani sighed in relief before hurrying over to answer it. She picked up just after the second ring, her voice filled with hope but still tinged with worry. “Hello?”

“Hey, just wanted to let you know I made it home safely.”

Dani smiled as she sank down into a nearby chair. Surely whatever was going on with Jamie couldn’t be too bad if she was still willing to follow through on her promise to give her a call. “Thank you for calling…” she trailed off, not allowing herself to admit she had been worried since Jamie wasn’t even calling later than expected; she’d actually made good time getting home. It was simply that Dani had been concerned ever since Jamie had practically bolted from her apartment, seemingly eager to get away from her without a proper explanation.

“How are you feeling?” She continued, wanting to keep Jamie on the phone as long as possible.

There was a pause; a noticeable hesitation on Jamie’s end. “Still feeling a bit under the weather, but I’ll be alright.”

Dani chewed her nearly raw lower lip as she held back the stream of questions that wanted to spill out. However, they were very nearly the same questions she’d asked earlier that had been dodged by Jamie. It would only be easier for Jamie to avoid them over the phone when all it would take was a claim of a bad connection and a click of a receiver and she’d be cut off completely.

“So, you’re going to rest then?” Dani questioned gently. She figured that at least buying into Jamie’s weak excuse would keep her from getting defensive.

“Yeah, I’ll take it easy for the rest of the day. Try to feel a bit better,” Jamie explained vaguely.

“And…you’re sure you just want to be alone? I can come over, maybe pick up some soup on the way. As a teacher, I have a surprisingly good immune system. Being around so many germy and sick kids has made me pretty resistant to a bit of illness.”

Jamie chuckled, a very welcome sound to Dani. However, almost as soon as the mirthful sound faded, her distant tone returned. “I appreciate the offer, really. But I’ll be alright. Besides, Mikey’s here.”

Dani frowned because she knew Jamie was just using Mikey as an excuse now. Only a few days ago, Jamie had been all too eager to try to talk Dani into another covert sleepover. Now, she was using Mikey as a shield to keep Dani away.

“Well that’s…that’s okay,” Dani replied with more confidence than she felt. “If you’re sick and you want company, that’s more important.”

Jamie’s breath caught, a sound only audible to Dani because of how tightly she was clutching the handset to her ear. There was a period of silence during which Dani allowed her hope to build despite her fear of having to actually come clean with Mikey if Jamie were to accept her offer. It would be worth it, she decided, if it allowed her to repair whatever had gone wrong between her and Jamie.

“I’ll be alright,” Jamie finally repeated and Dani felt her growing hope pop like a balloon as her expression fell. “Probably just take a nap, won’t be much fun. You should go and enjoy your Sunday, don’t worry about me.”

Dani wanted to scoff at the response. Wanted to call Jamie out and ask her how she could possibly think about anything else _but_ Jamie when things were so weird between them. She wondered if Jamie really thought she cared so little about her that she could just push her concern aside and go about her day as if everything was fine. However, she’d been _trying_ to express to Jamie how much she cared about her all day and the other woman seemed to be very disinterested in hearing it.

As much as she wanted to protest or challenge her or call her out yet again, all Dani did was release a sad sigh. It was clear Jamie was going to continue to be stubbornly silent about whatever was going on. Pushing her to open up was getting her nowhere so her only other option was to just wait it out.

“Alright, well…call if you need anything, okay? Seriously, I’m just going to be hanging around my place all day, so if there’s anything I can get you or you change your mind about wanting some company, just give me a call.”

“I will,” Jamie promised, but it lacked a sincerity that would have reassured Dani. It was dismissive at best. “And Dani…I really don’t want you to be worried, okay?”

Dani rolled her eyes but managed to hold back any verbal expression of her irritation with the comment. As if it were even possible to not be worried with how odd Jamie was acting. “Of course I’m going to be worried,” Dani said as gently as she could manage. “So please just keep me updated, okay?”

“Alright,” Jamie agreed with what sounded like a resigned sigh. “I should go lay down. Try to get some rest.”

“Okay,” Dani replied even though her heart clenched tightly at the thought of ending the call. “Feel better soon.”

“Thanks. Bye, Dani.”

The phone line went dead and Dani pulled the handset away to stare at it for a long moment, as if it held the answers she so desperately sought. With a final sigh, she placed the handset down and slowly stood up from the table. She glanced vacantly around her flat, searching for something to do, but she knew it didn’t matter. No matter how she tried to occupy her time, her mind was going to be frantically trying to solve the mystery that was Jamie’s sudden and inexplicable change in behavior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't think anyone had 'Jamie running away from THAT conversation' on their bingo card. What's going on with her?
> 
> Wow, 30 chapters! Thank you everyone for sticking with this story for this long. Obviously, we're not done yet (that would be a weird place to end this fic) but I don't think we'll reach a chapter 40, so this is the last 'big' chapter milestone. Sorry it's not quite as exciting as chapter 10 or chapter 20, but memorable in its own way, no?
> 
> As always, thank you for reading, leaving kudos, and commenting on the last chapter! Thank you to everyone for sending sweet/hilarious messages and asks on tumblr, I'm having so much fun interacting with you lovely people over there (shananigans402.tumblr.com). And hello to everyone on twitter! Still not over there, but I do appreciate you all very much.
> 
> This update is coming much later in the day than usual and I apologize. You can thank raginage and obsetress for that, they've convinced me to join discord and I've been very distracted all day (but having a great time even though idk what's happening 75% of the time).


	31. Chapter 31

The next morning Dani awoke feeling grumpy, lethargic, and just plain _wrong_. It was immediately clear why she felt so off as she was flooded with thoughts of Jamie, which wasn’t that unusual; however, as opposed to the sweet, fun, happy visuals of Jamie she was used to first thing in the morning, she was now tormented by memories of the day before.

It had taken Dani a long time to fall asleep the previous night. Even after she finally drifted off, the few hours of sleep she managed to piece together had been anything but restful. Although she was tempted to call in sick to try to get a few more hours of rest, she ultimately decided against it. The likelihood of falling back to sleep was low and taking a day off work meant far too many hours of uninterrupted time to puzzle over Jamie’s unusual behavior.

The thought of pasting on a smile and teaching a bunch of adolescents about proper grammar was entirely unappealing, but Dani knew it would be a welcome distraction from the unanswered questions that continued to cycle through her mind. So, after relatively little debate, she got out of bed and set about her usual morning routine.

The work day proved to be a somewhat helpful distraction. For the most part, Dani was able to focus her attention on her students – teaching the day’s lesson, answering questions, correcting assignments. However, the downtime between classes was when her mind started to wander and she eagerly sought out any activity to keep her busy enough to not worry about Jamie. She feared that once she let the thoughts run free, she would be unable to rein them back in enough to teach her remaining classes.

As soon as Dani returned home for the day, she was filled with a sense of restlessness unlike anything she’d ever experienced. She found herself watching the clock as she occupied herself with her typical evening activities, trying to gauge when Jamie would be home from work. Dani tried not to worry _if_ Jamie would call, instead convincing herself it was just a matter of when.

Dani busied herself with making dinner, eating the meal she’d prepared, putting away leftovers, and washing dishes. She struggled her way through grading the day’s homework before forcing herself to finish writing the questions to the following week’s test. Minutes ticked by as Dani tried to avoid even looking at the clock in order to maintain her focus on her work.

Eventually, Dani gave up on lesson planning when she realized she’d not only caught up on the work she’d been behind on, but was actually a week or two ahead of where she needed to be. However, any satisfaction she felt over that accomplishment was overshadowed by the realization that she’d only been so productive because Jamie had never called.

Dani picked at her nails as she stared at the wall clock, making sure she was correctly seeing the hour hand just past ten and the minute hand a little before five. It was far too late to consider calling Jamie since she didn’t want to risk waking Mikey. Besides, Jamie had made the decision not to call, so Dani wasn’t sure a call from her would be entirely welcome. She tried not to overthink the fact that Jamie hadn’t called, however, it only further confirmed her fear that something was really wrong. She just wished she knew what it was so that she could fix it.

Another nearly sleepless night passed. Followed by another day of struggling to focus all of her attention on her students and their schoolwork. It took every ounce of Dani’s resolve not to stop by the hardware store on her way home. If Jamie didn’t want to talk to her, she wasn’t going to corner her at work. Perhaps it was also the apprehension of seeing Jamie refuse to speak with her that made her so reluctant to approach her in her place of work.

Tuesday evening stretched on, seemingly passing even slower than Monday evening without the distraction of work to catch up on. However, Dani refused to go another night without at least hearing Jamie’s voice. Even if Jamie was going to keep her at a distance, Dani wanted to know she was okay. She stalled for time to give Jamie the chance to reach out first; desperately clinging to the hope that perhaps she really wasn’t feeling well and that’s why she hadn’t called. By eight thirty, Dani gave up on waiting to hear from Jamie first and dialed up the familiar number.

She wasn’t sure how long she stayed on the line listening to the endless loop of ringing. Eventually, it became clear the call wasn’t going to be answered and she hung up with a heavy heart. Dani wondered if the Taylor family was out. It seemed a bit late to be out on a Tuesday night, but it was preferrable to the other explanation – that they were home but Jamie refused to let anyone answer no matter how many times the phone rang.

Despite her initial intention to just leave it be and not call again, Dani found herself listening to the same endless ringing forty-five minutes later as she silently pleaded for Jamie to answer. No one – not Jamie, Mikey, or Dennis, answered and Dani hung up with a defeated sigh.

With each day that passed since she’d last seen Jamie, Dani found herself increasingly anxious and concerned. More than that, she found herself missing Jamie more than she could have ever imagined. It seemed that little parts of Jamie had seeped into her daily routine in ways she hadn’t realized, leaving her feeling more distraught than she figured she had any right to feel over the absence of someone who had never officially been her girlfriend.

On Wednesday morning, Dani found herself desperate to have some little piece of Jamie to get her through her day. She rifled through her wardrobe until she found the few articles of Jamie’s clothing she had laid claim to over the month they’d been seeing each other. The items seemed so meager compared to how much they meant to her – the soft t-shirt she’d borrowed the night of their failed romantic sleepover at the Taylor house; a warm flannel that Jamie had left behind when Dani had worn that and nothing else for an entire day; and a single sock accidentally left under the bed.

Eventually, Dani settled on wearing the white and green striped t-shirt underneath a cardigan, which would make it just professional enough to be an appropriate work outfit. Although the reminder of Jamie brought a fresh round of pain as she wondered for what felt like the thousandth time why Jamie was pulling away, the simple act of wearing something that was Jamie’s, of knowing the brunette had worn this shirt many times before it had ended up in Dani’s possession, her smell still lingering faintly in the soft cotton, eased the ache in her chest ever so slightly.

Even with the small source of comfort to get her through her day, Dani found her thoughts frequently occupied by thoughts of Jamie. More specifically, she continued to puzzle over why her phone calls had gone unanswered the night before. It had been too late for the Taylor family to be out to dinner. The possibility that Jamie was instructing the household not to answer the phone was almost too painful. However, that left few other explanations. Or at least, the ones that came to mind were very unpleasant – like the persistent worry flickering through her mind that maybe Jamie wasn’t lying about her illness at all and it had escalated to the point she’d ended up in the hospital. That would certainly account for the odd behavior and her lack of calls the past two nights, but Dani really didn’t want that to be true.

Her new fear dissipated somewhat when Mikey entered her classroom with his usual, bright smile. He certainly didn’t seem to be a boy who’d been out late worrying over his sister in a hospital bed.

That class period seemed the longest of all and Dani found her gaze frequently cutting over to Mikey while the students worked on a writing assignment. She searched his focused expression for any indication of what was going on at home. Dani found herself desperate to ask Mikey about his sister, but kept reminding herself that would be incredibly inappropriate and unprofessional. Nevertheless, when the bell rang to dismiss the students for the dinner break, Dani found herself calling out before she could stop the words from tumbling out.

“Hey Mikey, could you stay back for a minute?”

She watched as a couple other students snickered and teased the boy for being in trouble, though most were far more interested in fleeing the classroom to see their friends.

Mikey walked up to the desk with a confused frown. “Hi Miss Clayton,” he greeted with a small smile as he pulled at his perpetually wrinkled button-down shirt. “Did I…did I do something wrong?”

Dani felt her heart clench as she realized how nervous she’d made her student. She scolded herself for her own impulsivity in calling him to stay after class. “No, not at all,” she reassured him with as friendly a smile as she could manage. “I just wanted to check in…again,” Dani tried not to wince as she realized this was the second time she’d asked him to stay after when things between her and Jamie were strained. It was so unfair for her to involve him in this, even if only peripherally. And yet, she found herself increasingly desperate for the answers she didn’t have. “How are things going?”

“Great!” Mikey answered with a cheerful smile as the lingering traces of concern disappeared from his expression. “I’ve made loads of friends and I’m doing alright in my classes. Not great,” he amended as if reminded of the score he’d received on his last test in her class, which was average at best, “But well enough not to fail anything.”

“That’s good to hear,” Dani said with a smile. Although there was no explicit mention of Jamie, Dani tried to take comfort in the boy’s carefree demeanor. Surely he wouldn’t be looking quite so happy if his sister was in crisis. No, it likely indicated that whatever Jamie was going through was focused on Dani and Dani alone.

“I’m so glad you’ve been making friends and fitting in so well here,” Dani continued as she internally debated whether or not to ask how things were going at home. She knew it wasn’t right to ask as it was entirely for selfish reasons, but the urge was still there, persistent as ever.

“Yeah, it’s been good. I really like it here.”

Dani felt a real smile form and found herself genuinely pleased that Mikey was enjoying secondary school so much. She knew it had to make Jamie happy as well. “That’s great, Mikey,” she encouraged as her smile widened, “I just wanted to check in. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you around after the bell, so I hoped that meant those boys have left you alone.”

“They have,” Mikey confirmed with a nod, a proud smile playing at his lips as he stood up a little straighter as if to demonstrate that no one dared to mess with him anymore. “I don’t even wait around school after the bell, I just head home with my friends.”

Dani saw an opportunity, a small one that felt more like grasping at straws, but it was something. “Head home with your friends huh, too cool for your sister now?” She teased, hoping her jovial smile masked how eager she was to hear what he had to say about Jamie. Of course, she knew that Jamie no longer accompanied Mikey home because she wasn’t a student, but she couldn’t admit knowing even that much to Mikey.

“No,” Mikey said with a playful laugh that matched her joking tone. “She doesn’t go here anymore. She dropped out of sixth form,” he explained before a small frown appeared, “Don’t know why she even stayed in the first place. Jamie hated school. Her grades were worse than mine.”

Dani offered a soft chuckle at the assessment. She, of course, knew the reason Jamie had stayed for sixth form, but it wasn’t her place to tell Mikey. His response gave absolutely no indication of what was currently going on with Jamie and Dani resisted the urge to break the silence in order to give Mikey the chance to fill it with more information about his sister. His gaze flitted around before settling on a spot below her neck. His head tilted to the side and Dani felt herself growing embarrassed at the thought of having a talk she really didn’t want to have with any student, especially Mikey.

“Mikey,” she said softly, “Can you keep your eyes on my face, please?”

Mikey’s gaze darted up, however, much to Dani’s surprise, he didn’t look ashamed in the least over being called out. “Sorry, I just…your shirt looks familiar.” He briefly dropped his gaze again as he furrowed his brows, “I think my sister has that shirt.”

Heat rushed to Dani’s face as she remembered that she was wearing Jamie’s shirt. She glanced down and attempted to calm her suddenly racing heart by reassuring herself that even if the shirt looked familiar, it wasn’t so unique as to be completely unusual if Dani happened to have the same one. Despite her panic, a large part of her was relieved that Mikey had simply recognized the shirt and wasn’t staring at her chest, as she had initially feared.

“Huh, well that’s…that’s a funny coincidence,” she commented with a light tone and dismissive smile. “Anyway, I just wanted to check in and make sure everything’s okay. Sounds like it is…” she trailed off, giving him the chance to suddenly recall some other important detail – a family emergency or something along those lines. However, all she got was a bright smile and quick nod. “Okay, well, enjoy your dinner break. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Bye Miss Clayton,” Mikey called out before tightening his hold on his bag and scurrying out the door.

Dani watched as he left the room and dropped her head onto her folded arms on her desk. While the conversation hadn’t been a complete disaster, it had been far from productive. The only thing she could take comfort in was that Jamie likely wasn’t lying incapacitated in some hospital bed gauging from Mikey’s cheerful mood and lack of worried expression when his sister had been brought up.

When Dani returned home that afternoon, she continued to be tormented by the worries that had bothered her the previous few days. Only now, she was also concerned that Mikey would tell Jamie about the odd way Miss Clayton held him after class just to check in. Or perhaps he would mention that his teacher just happened to have the exact same shirt as Jamie.

The more Dani thought about it, the more she found she _wanted_ Mikey to say something to Jamie, as embarrassing as it may be. The reminder of Dani might encourage Jamie to break her silence to check in, or to offer a warning to leave Mikey out of their personal business. Even that would be preferable to the silent treatment so she could hear Jamie’s voice and know she was okay.

Similar to the previous two nights, hours passed by with an eerily silent phone sitting on the table. No matter how many times Dani glanced over, willing it to ring, it remained stubbornly quiet. She resisted the urge to call since her attempts to do so the night before hadn’t gone well. Dani wasn’t sure she’d be able to keep it together if the line just rang and rang with no one to answer yet again.

Dani was about to give up and call it a night when a loud ring cut through her flat. She rushed toward the phone, not even caring how eager she seemed as she lifted the handset and pressed it to her ear. “Hello?” Her tone was light, breathless, and filled with more hope than she’d felt in days.

“Hi Danielle,” Karen Clayton’s voice filled the line, her usual cool tone sounding more cold than usual. “Is this a bad time?”

Dani dropped heavily onto the nearby chair as her heart sank. She was tempted to say yes, make an excuse about having an early morning and needing to turn in early; however, there was something in her mother’s voice that suggested there was something more to her question than just concern. “No, it’s…it’s fine,” she answered as she raked her fingers through her hair and rested her head into her hand. “How have you been?”

“Well,” Karen drew the word out in a way that hinted this wasn’t just her usual call to check in and get her ‘adequate parent’ points for the week. “I saw Judy today…”

Dani’s eyes clenched shut. Of all the things she wanted to deal with this week, this was at the very bottom of that list. She drew in a deep breath through her nose as she cursed herself for not thinking to call her mother after Judy and Eddie’s visit. She’d had the thought a couple of times – brief, fleeting, thoughts; but had brushed them aside along with all other thoughts of labeling her relationship with Jamie to anyone other than Judy and Eddie. She had assumed there would be time to have the relationship discussion properly with Jamie and then fill her mother in…but she should have known, she really should have known, that apparently nothing was going the way she had planned.

“Oh yeah?” She asked as she steeled herself for whatever was coming next. Perhaps she should have started with an apology, but on the off chance this conversation wasn’t going in the direction she feared, Dani wasn’t about to offer her mother that information. Not tonight. Not this week. Not with everything else going on.

“Yes,” Karen replied, her clipped tone suggesting this conversation was definitely headed in the direction Dani desperately wanted to avoid. “We had a rather _interesting_ chat. She was telling me all about her trip to England to visit you and she happened to mention that she got to meet your delightful _girlfriend_.”

Dani sighed, her stomach clenching painfully, although she wasn’t sure if it had more to do with her mother’s hostile tone or the reminder that Jamie wasn’t her girlfriend; that Jamie was acting weird and distant and she didn’t know _why_.

“Mom, look, I’m sorry – ”

Karen cut Dani off, continuing before she could finish her apology. “Of course, I thought she was referring to a friend of yours. Surely, my own daughter would have told me if she was in a relationship. She certainly would have told me that she was a…a _lesbian_.”

Karen’s voice dropped at the last word, it escaped her in a frantic, hushed whisper as if she was afraid of being overheard though Dani knew her mother was at home alone, probably with a glass of chardonnay in hand, as she tried to drink away the bitterness over her secretive and disappointing daughter thousands of miles away.

“I should have told you,” Dani said as she mustered up all the courage she could to get through the conversation without breaking into hysterics. The days and weeks and months of anxiety and tension that had been piling up and now threatened to collapse as yet another stressor was tossed carelessly onto the mental load she’d been hauling around. “I should have told you the real reason I knew things wouldn’t work with Eddie, I just…I’ve been trying to process it and accept it myself and it hasn’t been all that easy the last few months.”

Karen’s answering snort could best be described as indelicate as she dismissed Dani’s patient explanation. “Seems like that hasn’t stopped you from shacking up with some woman. Judy told me she was at your apartment, you know. I mean, my god, Danielle. How could you let Eddie walk in and see that?”

“See what?” Dani asked, her tone nearly matching her mother’s in impatience as her frustration grew.

“See…her!” Karen’s tone was exasperated and Dani could practically see the way she gestured emphatically at nothing with her wine glass clutched in her hand. “I mean, you put that boy through so much and he and his mother travel all that way to make things right with you and you…you’re with a _woman_ , Danielle?”

Dani knew the frustration and embarrassment her mother was expressing didn’t reflect the opinions of Eddie and Judy, who had seemed completely supportive of Dani’s sexual orientation and her relationship with Jamie by the end of their visit.

Although she and Jamie weren’t official – especially after whatever happened on Sunday, Dani was reluctant to go into that with her mother. It would be easier to continue the charade and if Jamie decided she didn’t want to be her girlfriend…well, Dani could figure out how to tell her mother, Judy, and Eddie at a later time. A much later time.

“Yes, I am,” she answered as she tugged nervously on her hair. “I…I like women, Mom. I always have, I think. I just didn’t realize it – or I didn’t allow myself to realize it, I guess. I wanted to be happy with Eddie, but I didn’t love him in the way I should.”

Karen huffed out an incredulous laugh, “What? And you love this, this _woman_ the way you should?”

Dani’s breath caught as her heart seized in her chest. For a moment, she regretted continuing the charade of being Jamie’s girlfriend, it was more painful than she could have imagined. She hadn’t allowed herself to think about how deep her feelings for Jamie ran and she wasn’t about to start now.

“It’s too early,” Dani replied, dodging the question even though she knew the answer was there, hiding just below the surface if she wanted to go looking for it. But she didn’t. Not during an angry phone call with a tipsy Karen Clayton late at night. “We haven’t been together long. But I like her…a lot. I care about her.”

“You liked Eddie,” Karen protested, “You cared about Eddie.”

“I know,” Dani exhaled her frustration to keep from snapping at her mother. “And I still do. I’ll always care about him. But, when I’m with Jamie…” she pushed aside memories of the past few days, reaching back farther for the happier moments and memories until a ghost of a smile formed on her lips. “It’s different, Mom. She makes me feel things I didn’t think I could feel.”

“Jesus, Danielle, I don’t want to hear about that. I mean, really.”

“No,” Dani cut in as an embarrassed blush spread across her cheeks. “I wasn’t talking about _that_. I just meant that she makes me so happy. When I’m around her, I feel like I can be myself and that she never expects me to be anyone else. She’s so patient and caring and funny and just…amazing.”

The line was silent and Dani wrapped the phone cord around her finger as she waited for a reply. Finally, Karen spoke again, her tone softer.

“I wish you would have told me, Dani.”

Dani felt herself relax the slightest bit at the gentler tone and the return of her preferred name. “I know, I should have. I didn’t expect Eddie and Judy to find out the way they did, I was planning on telling you first. I just…I wasn’t sure how you’d react. I was stalling for time, I guess.”

“I can’t say I’m thrilled,” Karen admitted. “You and Eddie were just such a nice couple. The whole town thought so, still think so, in fact. I think everyone is waiting for you to come back and apologize to him.”

Dani frowned at the thought; she could think of few things worse than returning to Iowa and begging Eddie for another chance. However, she could tell her mother wasn’t finished so she remained quiet as she waited to see where she was going.

“But you sound…happy when you talk about her,” Karen continued. It was a quiet admission, as if she almost didn’t want to voice it out loud. “And Judy said you looked happy, ecstatic even, when you were with this woman.”

“Her name is Jamie,” Dani said softly, not wanting to chastise her mother, but wanting her to get comfortable with the name. If anything, this call was only furthering her resolve to make things right with Jamie because everything she’d just explained to her mother was so painfully true.

“Right, Jamie,” Karen corrected, the name sounding odd and uncertain leaving her lips. “You’re happy with Jamie. She treats you well, right?”

Dani swallowed at the question as her eyes filled with tears at just how cautiously and gently it was asked. Barring the past few days, Jamie treated her very well. Dani decided not to take the past couple of days into account since she still didn’t know what was going on…and it wasn’t as if Jamie had treated her _poorly_. She was just maddeningly absent from her life. “Yeah,” she choked out, “She makes me very happy and she…she treats me really well.” She thought about the pie and wine on her doorstep on Thanksgiving; Jamie’s patience when the O’Mara’s were in town; every compliment and tender kiss, and a slow smile spread across her face.

“Good,” Karen responded. Another silence stretched out before Karen let out a soft sigh. “I’m happy for you, I just wish you would have told me. In the future, just tell me, okay? I don’t want to find things out from Judy O’Mara.”

“Of course,” Dani conceded with a nod. She was still surprised how well her mother seemed to be handling it. Though she had a feeling it had to do with how well Judy had taken the news – how enthusiastically she must have relayed the information to Karen, completely unaware that Karen didn’t know anything about Jamie.

As much as Karen had leaned on Judy over the years to help take care of her daughter when she hadn’t been willing to pass up a night out at the bar, there had always been a slight jealousy. Dani knew this hint of envy had fueled her mother’s frustration at the start of the call, but it also contributed to her acceptance of her daughter being gay. After all, Karen wasn’t going to be upstaged by Judy’s unconditional love and support for Dani.

“You should…” Karen trailed off before clearing her throat, “You should bring her home some time. Jamie, I mean. Bring her to Iowa for the holidays, if you want.”

Dani’s eyebrows lifted in surprise at the invitation. “Wow, um…yeah, I think…I think I might stay in England for the holidays this year. But I’d love to bring her to Iowa sometime so you can meet her.” Dani knew the last statement was a bit of an exaggeration; she definitely wasn’t too eager for Jamie to meet her mother who was best classed as a ‘functioning alcoholic’ and filled with more judgment and bitterness than any one person had a right to contain. The statement was partially true, however, because Dani would love to take Jamie to Iowa – if only for the reason that it meant Jamie would be willing to travel with her; would be around her for days on end.

“Okay…that would be nice,” Karen answered, each word sounding a little forced, but she was trying.

“Yeah,” Dani agreed. She considered shifting the conversation into their usual ‘check in’ topics when the call waiting flashed and Dani’s heart leapt into her throat again. “Uh, Mom there’s another call waiting, is it okay if let you go?”

“Yes, that’s fine,” Karen replied quickly, and Dani could tell her mother was only too happy to take some time to process their conversation, or forget it completely with the help of a bottle of wine.

“Alright, I love you. I’ll catch up with you next week.”

“Yes, next week,” Karen agreed, “Love you too.”

Dani switched over to the other call, hand clutching the receiver impatiently. “Hello?”

“Hi Danielle, it’s Judy!”

Dani felt her heart drop heavily for the second time, this time felt far more frustrating than the first bit of false hope. “Hi Judy,” she replied with as much cheer as she could feign.

“Listen honey, I just wanted to call and let you know I ran into your mother today. I was still so excited about our little trip that I was just going on and on about you and Jamie…but I didn’t realize you hadn’t told her yet…”

“Yeah,” Dani held back a sigh as she ran a hand tiredly over her face. “I was just on a call with her actually. We…we talked about it and things are fine now.”

“Oh good,” Judy sighed in relief, “I felt so bad…I honestly didn’t know you hadn’t told her about Jamie or I wouldn’t have said anything.”

“No, it’s okay,” Dani replied dismissively. She couldn’t blame Judy when she should have told her mother last week…or even before that. “It was good, actually…I finally got to come out to her and it all went well.”

“I’m glad it went well,” Judy said in a tone that conveyed just how happy she was to hear that. “And how about you, how are you doing?”

“I’m fine,” Dani lied, knowing that word didn’t describe any part of how she’d been since Sunday. She also knew that unlike her mother, Judy was more likely to pick up on her lie and question her about it. “Just a little tired, I didn’t sleep well last night and it’s getting kind of late…” She didn’t like subtly pushing to end the call, but she didn’t have the energy to deal with any more questions about how she was doing, or how Jamie was doing, or how she _and_ Jamie were doing.

“Oh, right, of course,” Judy said in a rush. “You think I’d be better with the time difference after just having been over there. I forgot how late it is. You go ahead and get some sleep, but give me a call sometime soon to catch up, okay?”

“Yeah, sounds good.” Dani closed her eyes in relief that Judy wasn’t going to push the issue.

“Alright, sweet dreams, honey. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Bye Judy,” Dani replied with a soft smile before hanging up the handset. She stared at the phone for a long moment, willing it to ring again so she could talk to the person she most wanted to talk to. But it didn’t ring and it was much too late at this point to go back on her resolve not to call again tonight. With a sigh, Dani headed off to bed, already dreading the continued torment the next day was sure to bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a feeling people aren't too pleased with me after this chapter. It was initially going to be a much longer chapter, but then I realized I forgot to add an important part to the second half and it was already really long (11k words!) so I decided to split it in half so you all didn't have to keep waiting for an update. I'll try to get the second half up by Wednesday so you're not waiting another 5+ days!
> 
> Thank you to everyone with read, left kudos, and commented on the last chapter! There were so many feelings and theories and I loved reading each and every one of them. Seriously, I love seeing people's thoughts about what's happening and I hope you continue to enjoy this story despite the angst that I'm really stretching out here.
> 
> Shoutout to stringofdreams on tumblr. A long time ago they prompted 'Dani wearing something of Jamie's to school'. I can almost guarantee this was not at all what they had in mind, but I thought it was kind of cute (and sad). 
> 
> Feel free to shout at me over on tumblr, I can take it.


	32. Chapter 32

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just as a reminder, this was supposed to be part of the last chapter but eventually it got to be so long that I wanted to split it in two so everyone wasn't waiting over a week for the update. Enjoy!

When the final bell rang on Thursday, Dani decided she’d had enough of waiting. She’d tried to be patient and let Jamie take the space she needed to work through whatever was going on. With the exception of her call on Tuesday night (which hadn’t even been answered) and her brief conversation with Mikey, Dani had respected Jamie’s space. But after struggling through another long day of classes, Dani knew she needed some answers. She needed to see Jamie, or at least talk to her.

Despite knowing it was a little invasive if Jamie truly didn’t want to see her, her feet carried her directly to the hardware store after school. Dani wouldn’t push Jamie to talk while she was at work if she was uncomfortable with seeing Dani, but she’d try to convince her to meet up after her shift so they could talk. Or at the very least, try to get her to commit to a time to call her.

Dani walked into the relatively empty store and was grateful for the lack of customers at this time of day. She wandered the aisles with purpose, her gaze darting around as she sought out Jamie, who wasn’t in her usual section. After making two and a half loops around the store, Dani reluctantly accepted that Jamie simply wasn’t there; she’d either worked an earlier shift or had the day off.

As Dani was headed out, a middle-aged man with kind eyes and a patient smile intercepted her. “Can I help you find something?”

Dani’s eyes flitted to the nametag, which read ‘Harry’, and she realized this was the shop owner; Jamie’s boss. She fixed him with a smile and debated brushing off his question and continuing on her way, but upon second thought, decided he might be of some help. Even though it seemed Jamie wasn’t working this evening, he might be able to tell her when she was scheduled to come in on Friday or Saturday, giving Dani an opportunity to catch her in person before or after her shift.

“Yeah, I was looking for Jamie, actually. She’s…I mean, I…” she paused as she wondered how to explain her need to talk to one particular store employee. “We’re friends and I need to talk to her, but I haven’t been able to get a hold of her lately, so I thought I’d see if she was working.”

Harry fixed her with a friendly smile tinged with regret, “Ah, sorry to tell you, she doesn’t work here anymore.”

“She doesn’t?” Dani asked, her shock evident in her expression and tone.

“Afraid not,” Harry admitted with a shake of his head. He looked as if he was debating whether or not to say more, but eventually seemed to give in to his desire to continue. “I’m sure she’s told you she hasn’t had the easiest time working here.”

Dani fought to keep her confusion from her face, knowing he might not tell her anything more if he thought she and Jamie weren’t such close friends after all. “Yeah, I mean…she’s said a few things,” she admitted as she reflected on the times Jamie had offered the usual complaints about work. “I know she really liked working in the garden section though. She said it was helpful learning about the tools and all the different kinds of plants.”

“Oh, yes,” Harry agreed with a nod, “She’s been wonderful to have in the garden section. Never had an employee who was quite so eager to learn the inventory. Unfortunately, it’s more the, uh, customer service side of things that seemed to be the problem.”

“Jamie’s not good with the customers?” Dani questioned as she thought back to the time she’d witnessed Jamie’s tense interaction with one of the customers. She recalled the remark Jamie had made about men trying to show off how much they knew to impress her and how much it annoyed her.

“More the customers aren’t too good with her,” Harry amended with an awkward chuckle as he ran a hand over his balding head. “Most of my employees are male, as are most of the customers, so we’ve never really had much of a problem. But with Jamie working here…well, unfortunately the customers aren’t always on their best behavior. Asking her too many questions, challenging her, being…forward with her.” He shook his head as his face flushed, as if embarrassed Jamie had been put in that position in his store.

“So she…she can’t work here because of that?” Dani asked, wondering how that was possibly an offense worthy of firing someone.

“Well, she could,” Harry replied, “But she decided not to. Made the decision Monday, in fact, and offered to work her two weeks notice, but I told her to take them as paid vacation. It’s not a good environment for her here, she doesn’t deserve to put up with the bloody stupid customers.” He added the last part in a hushed voice with a playful wink before glancing around to ensure he hadn’t offended any of his loyal patrons.

Dani tried to wrap her head around the information, but it only caused her thoughts to become more jumbled. She couldn’t believe Jamie hadn’t talked to her about this – though she knew over the past few weeks they hadn’t spent much of their alone time talking. Certainly not unless it was a flirtatious comment or teasing remark designed to work each other up.

“Do you know…if she has another job?” Dani asked, hoping it could point her in the right direction to find Jamie. The thought that Jamie had more free time than ever this week and _still_ hadn’t called caused a spike of irritation to stab through her, but she tried to ignore it. Jamie had clearly had a rough week and perhaps her distance had more to do with work or her own problems than Dani. However, she couldn’t help but think that wasn’t the case – not when things had been going just fine on Sunday until something Dani had said or done seemed to spook her.

“I suspect you might know better than I do,” Harry shot back with a laugh. “Haven’t heard anything about another job, though I did tell her I’d check in with some old friends who do some landscaping work to see if they need an apprentice. I actually have a friend calling me back later this evening; might have some work available for her. So when you see her, tell her to give me a call, yeah?”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Dani nodded as she feigned a smile. “Thank you for filling me in. I’m sure it’s been hard for Jamie to talk about. She’s…stubborn about certain things.”

Harry smiled at that, “She is, indeed. Really liked that lass. Shame it didn’t work out for her here, but I think one of these jobs working in a garden may be better for her anyway. Weeds and bugs may be a welcome break from dealing with rude men.”

“Yeah, definitely,” Dani agreed as she held the smile that masked her concern. “Well, I’m gonna go try and reach her. But thank you, it was nice meeting you.”

“You too, love,” Harry replied with a warm smile. “You ever need anything from the shop, you come find me alright? Always happy to help a friend of Jamie’s.”

Dani’s smile became slightly more genuine at the kind offer and she gave a final nod before turning to head out of the store. During her walk home, her mind continued to sift through her mess of thoughts, trying to make sense of everything. However, it seemed as if the information she’d been given by Harry were pieces to a completely different puzzle – they didn’t quite fit and only left her feeling utterly confused and frustrated.

By the time she made it home, Dani was more determined than ever to get a hold of Jamie. She didn’t care if Jamie had encouraged her family to screen her calls, she would call however many times she needed to until someone answered and she could get Jamie to at least give her an explanation. After everything they’d been through, she deserved that much.

Although she wasn’t very hungry, Dani went through the motions of preparing dinner if only because she knew if the phone call didn’t go well, she would be even less inclined to eat and it wasn’t good to skip a major meal. Or perhaps she was simply stalling for time before making the call. Her chat with Harry had only made her more concerned, rather than less, and she didn’t like the feeling that Jamie was keeping so much from her.

By the time she finished slowly washing up from dinner, Dani decided it was time to stop putting off the call. The desire for answers took over once more, overpowering her nerves until she found herself seated in front of the phone, her index finger quickly punching in the familiar number.

Dani expected the ringing to endlessly drone on as it had on Tuesday, but was surprised when it was picked up after the third ring.

“Hello?”

It wasn’t Jamie, the voice too masculine and too deep, but at least it was someone – and even better, it wasn’t Mikey.

“Hi Mr. Taylor, this is Dani, uh, Jamie’s friend?” She wasn’t pleased about the qualifier of ‘friend’ but hoped it would jog his memory. “Is she there? I was hoping to talk to her.”

There was a pause, just long enough for Dani to worry he’d ended the call, before he answered her question. “Jamie’s not here.”

“Oh,” Dani sighed as her cautious hopefulness gave way to disappointment. She wondered if that was the truth or if he’d simply been instructed to say that if an American called for her. “Do you know when she’ll be back?”

An amused snort on the other end of the line, “That’s the question, isn’t it?”

“I…I’m sorry?” Dani asked, her brows knitting together in confusion as she struggled to keep up with the conversation.

“Left with barely a goodbye, no clue as to when she’d be back, just promised to be back ‘at some point’,” Dennis explained with a scoff. He didn’t sound angry, more tired than anything. However, Dani could barely process how he sounded when she was grappling her own reaction to what he’d disclosed.

“I don’t…I’m not following,” she admitted, “Are you saying she left, as in she left town?”

“Aye,” Dennis confirmed, pausing briefly before continuing, “You’re the American she’s been with, yeah? Thought she might have been going somewhere with you, but if you’re calling with even less to go on than me, guess that’s not the case.”

Dani didn’t even have time to worry about Dennis Taylor knowing something was going on between her and his daughter because she was far more concerned about the bombshell that had been dropped on her.

“Yeah, I’m not with her. I didn’t know she was planning on leaving. Did she, um, did she say where she was going?”

“London. Don’t know why, but she said that’s where she was headed.”

Dani shook her head as she tried to process why Jamie had gone to London. The thought of her wanting to go to explore, meet new people, new _women_ , haunted Dani’s thoughts but she shoved it aside. It wasn’t going to help her to worry about the _why_ of it all. “Do you know where she’s staying? Or do you have a number of where to reach her?”

“No,” Dennis replied, his tone becoming hesitant as if he was suddenly suspicious about why Dani was asking so many questions. “Afraid I don’t have anything else to tell you, I’ve told you just about everything she told me before she left – which wasn’t a hell of a lot.”

“Yeah, it’s not much,” Dani agreed with a frown. “I’m sorry to bother you, but thank you for letting me know she’s…gone, I guess.” She chewed her lips as she debated whether or not to ask another question, eventually giving in to her own curiosity. “Do you know if there’s anyone else who she might have told where she was going or how to reach her?”

“Not anyone I can think of,” Dennis admitted, “Like I said, my best guess was she was with you. If that’s not the case, don’t know who she’d be with.”

Dani swallowed at the response because she hadn’t even been asking if Jamie had left _with_ anyone, but now it was all she could think about. “Okay, well, thank you again. If she comes back, can you tell her to give me a call? Just tell her Dani is looking for her, please.”

“Alright,” Dennis agreed before the line went dead. Dani wasn’t surprised by the abrupt end to the call as she suspected she’d engaged in a longer conversation with the man than he’d had in weeks. Perhaps even including conversations with his own girlfriend.

For the rest of the evening and stretching on through her classes the next day, Dani continued to puzzle over where to turn next. Sitting around and waiting for Jamie to call her wasn’t an option, if only because she was too restless to sit idly by with nothing to do all weekend.

She managed to make it through most of the day with enough focus to teach her classes; however, her final planning period of the day seemed to drag on slower than usual as she anxiously waited to get her final class of the day over and done with. A knock on her classroom door drew her attention and she quickly glanced over to see Hannah and Owen hovering uncertainly in the doorway, two cups of tea clutched in Owen’s hand and another in Hannah’s.

“Sorry to startle you,” Hannah said softly and Dani realized how panicked she must look with the wide-eyed stare she was giving them. She relaxed her features into a more amiable expression as she waved them in.

“No, it’s…it’s fine, just surprised. What’s up?”

She watched as Hannah and Owen exchanged a glance before walking further into the room.

“Well, I made some tea and thought you two lovely ladies might appreciate a cuppa,” Owen explained with a friendly wink to Dani before he turned a much more affectionate smile to Hannah, who returned it before she looked to Dani.

“We thought we might drop in during your free period. See how you’re doing,” Hannah explained with a warm smile as she sipped her tea.

Dani could tell there was something more going on than a spur-of-the-moment chat. Her suspicion only grew as Owen wrangled two chairs from the front row of desks for him and Hannah to sit facing Dani.

“I’m fine…thanks for asking,” Dani replied cautiously, giving them both a look to indicate she had a feeling there was something they weren’t saying.

Hannah gave Owen a small, appreciative smile as she took a seat in the chair he pulled up for her before she returned her attention to Dani. “You’ve seemed a bit…distracted this week. We wanted to check in to make sure everything’s alright.”

Dani’s breath caught at being called out for her distant behavior and glanced down in embarrassment. She’d been trying to hide how tormented she’d been all week with her non-stop worrying over Jamie, but apparently, she hadn’t done as good a job as she had hoped.

“Oh…I, um,” she began as she tried to come up with some sort of believable excuse to satisfy their curiosity and reassure them she was okay. “It’s nothing, really,” she said with a mollifying smile, “You see, I just…”

“The truth, Dani,” Owen said in a kind but firm voice as he held her gaze with a patient expression. “We’ve noticed something’s been off for a while, but we haven’t wanted to pry. But this week, well, it seems you’re not really here even when you’re with us.”

“We don’t mean to put you on the spot,” Hannah added, picking up where Owen left off. “We just thought perhaps you might like a chance to talk about what’s going on. What’s _really_ going on.” Hannah added, as if trying to discourage Dani from coming up with a lie to assuage their concerns.

Dani sighed and picked up her cup of tea, if only to buy herself time to think about what to say. She appreciated her friends’ concern, more than she could properly express, and she couldn’t deny it would be helpful to be able to open up about her anxiety about Jamie. In order to do that, however, she would need to be honest about her relationship with Jamie. The very thing she’d been putting off telling them for weeks – and _that_ was absolutely terrifying.

“Okay,” Dani exhaled. Although she was still nervous about the thought of her friends judging her, of them not supporting her feelings for Jamie, as she looked between their patient and encouraging expressions, she knew that they genuinely cared about her. She was part of their group now, an odd little family of sorts, and even if they didn’t like what she was about to tell them, she was fairly certain they wouldn’t turn their backs on her.

However, just because she made up her mind to tell them, it didn’t get rid of her nerves about doing so. In fact, she felt as if nearly every muscle in her body was tense and tight as she took a long sip of her tea. When she set her cup down, she cautiously looked up at her friends.

“For the past few weeks, Jamie and I have been…seeing each other,” she winced slightly, though she wasn’t sure if it was because she was finally admitting it out loud or because of how inadequate those words seemed to be. “We’ve, uh, gone on a few dates and I…” she paused, glancing between the painfully neutral expressions on both of their faces that gave no indication as to how they felt about what she’d just admitted.

Dani decided to summon all the courage she could muster and finish strong with her confession. “I really like her. I want to ask her to be my girlfriend, in fact.” Although she was a bit reluctant to add that last part, especially since she wasn’t sure she and Jamie were on the same page about that topic anymore, she figured it was best to come clean while she had a sudden burst of bravery. If she downplayed her feelings for Jamie, tried to play it off as new or insignificant, she knew there was no way to address what was really bothering her without it seeming like she was unusually attached to a casual fling.

Her hands twisted nervously in her lap as she watched as Owen and Hannah kept their gazes locked on her, although in a way that seemed to suggest they were purposely _not_ turning their heads to exchange a look with each other, perhaps knowing that would send Dani’s already heightened anxiety through the roof.

A smile appeared on Hannah’s face while Owen pulled his lips tightly together, possibly to hold in some bad pun or terrible joke because it simply wasn’t the time. His eyes, however, were shining with a warmth that put Dani ever so slightly at ease.

“How wonderful,” Hannah said as her smile remained on her face.

Owen nodded in agreement as his lips curled into a bright smile, “Yes, wonderful.”

Dani felt a wave of relief wash away the tension keeping her posture rigid as she relaxed back in her chair. Something wasn’t sitting quite right with her though and she looked between her friends. “You don’t seem all that…surprised by what I said,” she observed as her brows pulled together in confusion.

Hannah and Owen finally turned their heads nearly in unison, exchanging a look as Hannah drew in a breath. When they returned their attention to Dani, whose concern was starting to return the longer they remained silent, Hannah emitted a quiet chuckle while Owen fixed Dani with an almost sheepish smile.

“Well, if we’re being honest,” Hannah began in a tone that indicated dishonesty had never been a possibility given that they’d goaded Dani into telling the truth. “Our surprise set in that night we ran into you at the restaurant. You said that you and Jamie were friends, but…” she trailed off and glanced to Owen who leaned back slightly with an expression that suggested he had no desire to jump in and finish her thought.

Hannah gently shook her head in amusement at Owen’s reaction before she gave Dani a knowing look. “I suppose it just seemed a little…odd, the two of you being friends. Not that we thought you two wouldn’t get along…”

“Quite the opposite,” Owen said with a playful grin. “We figured the two of you got along splendidly.”

Hannah rolled her eyes over the comment Owen chose to finally cut in to offer, but the gesture held more fondness than frustration. “We discussed it that night, how well-suited you two might be to something more than friendship, perhaps. We didn’t want to make any assumptions, of course, but we did know about your, well, your attraction to women. I wouldn’t presume to know Jamie’s preferences, but…we did wonder if the two of you out to dinner with your visitors from America might be less platonic than you suggested.”

“We hoped you might invite her to Thanksgiving,” Owen added. “If only because it would have given Hannah and I a chance to look out for those sparks of chemistry for ourselves, confirm our suspicions even if you were claiming to just be friends.”

A surprised chuckle escaped Dani as she listened to her friends. She couldn’t believe they had figured out she and Jamie were together without anything to go on other than that brief encounter at the restaurant. They hadn’t even seen the two of them interacting; no affectionate gazes or subtle, lingering touches. No flirtatious smirks or poorly hidden looks of pure longing.

“You knew,” Dani said softly, a blush rising to her cheeks as she realized they had seen right through her so easily. “You knew that I…that I liked Jamie and you didn’t care about that?”

“Care about it?” Owen furrowed his brow as if he was having trouble following her train of thought. “Dani, I hope we’ve made it clear before that we don’t care you’re attracted to women. Enthusiastically support it, in fact,” he added with a growing smile, “Think it’s positively grand.”

Hannah laid a hand gently on his arm before he could get too far down a path that was sure to lead to his awful jokes. “Care about what, love?”

Dani bit her lip nervously as she considered her next words. She’d pretended to be ignorant to the fact Jamie had been a student at Goldthorpe the other day at the restaurant. Now was as good a time as any to come clean about the concerns that she’d been holding so closely to her chest for a while.

“Care that, you know, that she used to be a student,” Dani admitted softly, her gaze focused on her desk. “Used to be a student _here_ and I’m a teacher. She only dropped out of sixth form a month ago and…”

Dani paused as her gaze nervously darted up to meet her friends’ as she rushed to explain. “She didn’t leave for me, though. I wouldn’t – I would _never_ have let her do that. I mean, not that I can control what she does,” she paused and swallowed as that comment caused a painful tug in her chest at how true that was. At this point in time, she didn’t have the slightest insight into Jamie’s decisions; didn’t even know where she was.

Hannah seemed to sense her anguish as she reached over to rest a reassuring hand over Dani’s wrist. “It’s alright,” she said soothingly, holding Dani’s gaze until the frazzled blonde took a couple of calming breaths. “I think we’re both a bit…curious about how the two of you got together and we’d love to hear it from you.” Hannah gave her wrist a gentle squeeze before removing her hand, “We know what kind of person you are, Dani. You’d never ask a student to drop out if that wasn’t a decision they came to on their own.”

Dani let out a relieved exhale as she nodded along to Hannah’s statement. “Yeah, I’d never do that,” she repeated, even though it seemed an unnecessary point to emphasize again as they weren’t questioning it. She reflected on Hannah’s request to hear more about how she and Jamie met as she fiddled with the handle of her mug. She drew in a deep breath as she decided to continue being honest.

“I may have stretched the truth the other day at the restaurant; I mean, besides saying that Jamie and I are just friends. I knew she’d been a student here. I _met_ her when she was a student here. We had a brief conversation my first week, but I didn’t even know her name until she stopped by my class to meet up with Mikey afterschool one day. I didn’t intentionally try to get to know her or anything,” Dani clarified, although her friends didn’t appear concerned by anything she’d said so far. “That was just when I first properly met her and, okay, well, she tried to flirt with me – but I didn’t flirt back.”

Owen let out an amused chuckle at her frantic rush of words while Hannah only had a knowing look in her eye. A look that indicated this wasn’t new information. Dani searched Hannah’s face for a moment before deciding to pause her own explanation to ask her friend a question. “Did you already know that?”

Hannah let out a little hum as she sipped her tea before fixing Dani with a small smile. “Back when Mikey began waiting in the library for his sister, he mentioned that he used to wait in your classroom, so I assumed you must have met Jamie.”

An embarrassed blush spread across Dani’s face as she realized Hannah had known she was lying the other day at the restaurant. That must have only further convinced her that there was something more going on between Dani and Jamie than Dani had claimed.

“And that was confirmed not long after. You see, Mikey and I were talking one afternoon and the darling boy asked me if girls had to like boys, or if they could like other girls. I was surprised by the question, especially since the way it was phrased indicated he wasn’t asking for himself, but I thought it best to be honest and tell him that yes, people of the same gender could be attracted to each other.”

Dani’s eyes were wide as she listened to the story. It was the first she’d heard about Mikey even being curious about same-sex attraction and she wasn’t sure what had sparked his interest in the topic unless Jamie had come out to him.

Fortunately, Hannah continued her story before Dani could prompt her for more information. “I gently asked him why he had asked and he said – ” she paused and glanced down, as if trying to hide the mirthful smile that spread across her face, before she looked back up to meet Dani’s curious gaze. “He thought his sister had a crush on his teacher, Miss Clayton.”

Shock jolted through Dani’s body as she processed Mikey’s confession; her eyebrows lifted and her mouth fell open as she stared at Hannah, trying to determine if she was being serious. However, Hannah’s smile was far too genuine to suggest she was joking, which meant that even Mikey had picked up on something happening between her and Jamie. Or at least, he’d noticed his sister’s feelings. Dani supposed that wasn’t too surprising given the suggestive comments Jamie had made in his presence; she’d just assumed he was too young to really know what they meant. Perhaps he was and whatever it was he’d picked up on was something else entirely.

“I’m sorry,” Dani said as she shook her head, as if questioning whether or not she’d heard Hannah correctly. “Mikey really said that?”

“He did,” Hannah confirmed. “This was long before you came out to any of us, so I didn’t think much of it at the time. I just thought if perhaps he was correct that his sister fancied women, there was certainly a chance she would be interested in a young, pretty teacher such as yourself. I never would have imagined that something might actually come of Mikey’s observation.”

Dani felt her cheeks flush again as she shook her head. “Yeah, I uh, I wouldn’t have imagined it either.” She cleared her throat and pushed Hannah’s story aside to further process at a later time; for now, she needed to get her own side of the story off her chest. “Like I was saying, I really tried to discourage Jamie’s interest in me because she was a student. I probably wasn’t trying hard enough though and honestly I was flattered and overwhelmed because I was so new to even admitting I was attracted to women. And Jamie…well, she was bold and forward, yes, but she was also really sweet and caring and so easy to talk to. I got a lot more caught up in it than I intended to and agreed to try to be friends. That…uh, that didn’t work so well. Just being friends, I mean,” she admitted as she sheepishly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“It rarely does,” Owen observed as he snuck a glance over at Hannah.

Dani smiled at the comment and felt her nerves fade away again at the reminder that her friends hadn’t judged her for a single thing yet.

“I was trying to keep things platonic, but I really wasn’t doing a great job of it. We weren’t dating or anything like that, I made sure not to cross those boundaries. Then one day, out of the blue, she told me that she got a job and had decided to drop out – naturally, I panicked and tried to convince her not to leave school. I insisted that I wasn’t worth it and that her education was more important. It led to an argument, actually. She kept trying to tell me she wasn’t doing it because of me but I wasn’t really listening. I was just so worried what everyone would think if they found out,” she paused and glanced between her friends, “What you would think if you found out.”

Hannah fixed her with a sympathetic smile while the bashful look on Owen’s face suggested he might have been guilty of having those concerns when he’d first suspected them of being together. She couldn’t blame him though, it was a logical conclusion to draw, which is why she’d been so worried about it in the first place.

“We made up though. I apologized and really listened to her. Jamie told me she never cared about staying for sixth form in the first place. She was only here to look after Mikey but once he started making friends and fitting in, she figured she wasn’t needed. She wanted to start exploring her own career interests rather than taking classes she wouldn’t need because she was never planning on going to university.”

“I think anyone here could have told you that much,” Owen cut in with a jovial smile. “Jamie never seemed to care much about school, even on the best of days. I think the fact she stayed for sixth form in the first place was a far bigger shock to the staff than her dropping out.”

Dani let out a small chuckle, knowing that what Owen said was likely true. From what Jamie had told her, and even her own observations of her as a student, she was never that concerned with attending class, following rules, or doing her coursework. Dani knew there was a lot in her past that had contributed to that mindset, but now was not the time to get into that.

“We started dating not long after Halloween, after she dropped out and we made up,” Dani continued as she ran a hand nervously through her hair. “We never labeled anything, but things were going well. Really, really well.”

“That’s around the same time I finally got my act together and asked out this one,” Owen commented as he shot an affectionate glance over at Hannah. There was an underlying hint of surprise to his expression, as if he was trying to wrap his head around Dani and Jamie having been together about as long as him and Hannah.

“Yeah,” Dani replied with a nod as she thought back to rescheduling her second date with Jamie on Bonfire Night so Owen could properly ask Hannah out.

“I couldn’t help but notice you said things _were_ going well,” Hannah said slowly, as if aware she was creeping into potentially hazardous territory. “Is everything alright between you two?”

Dani attempted to take a deep, calming breath but it caught in her throat as she was flooded with thoughts of the past week. “Uhm, I don’t know,” she finally responded. It wasn’t a great answer, but it was the most honest one she had.

“She came over to my place on Sunday and things were going well…but then all of the sudden something happened and it was like she couldn’t get out of my place fast enough. She said she wasn’t feeling well and I asked her to call me when she got home, and she did, but I haven’t heard from her since.”

Owen’s expression was one of pure confusion; Hannah’s was similar, but laced with sympathy.

“What happened?” Owen asked with the caution of someone who wasn’t sure if they were stepping over a line simply by asking.

Dani offered a reassuring smile tinged with sadness so he knew it was alright to ask. “I wish I knew,” she admitted softly. “I’ve been trying to figure it out all week. We were talking and I told her about the woman Rebecca attempted to set me up with last Saturday. We laughed a little about it and then she was asking me questions about Viola and seemed kind of bothered by the fact the Lloyds have so much money.”

“Wait, Rebecca set you up with Viola _Lloyd_?” Owen asked, his eyes wide as he processed the news. Hannah shot him a look to remind him that was not what they needed to be focused on and he gave her an apologetic smile in return. “Sorry, it’s just I wasn’t aware Becca was such close, personal friends with a multi-millionaire. Caught me a bit by surprise. Think of all the discounts we could have been enjoying at the famous Lloyd department stores.”

The lighthearted comment helped to ease some of Dani’s sadness and she smiled in response to Owen’s teasing grin. “To be fair to Rebecca, she didn’t know Viola before last weekend either. Viola knows Peter through work and the best way I can describe her is a female version of him.”

Dani watched as both Hannah and Owen reacted to that description in disgust. She was reminded of how Jamie had failed to react at all to the comparison the previous weekend since she hadn’t had the misfortune of meeting Peter Quint. The memory only made her heart ache as she thought about how much she missed Jamie.

“Do you think she was jealous?” Hannah asked; the well-intentioned question making Dani want to laugh because it was such an obvious explanation to her problem and yet Hannah was proposing it as if it had never occurred to her. She managed to maintain a polite smile though, not wanting to offend her friends when it was clear they really wanted to help her.

“I don’t think so,” she replied with a shake of her head. “Jamie’s not really a jealous person, but we were talking about it and laughing it off at first anyway. It would have been a little odd for her to have such a delayed reaction if that was the cause of her weird mood.”

“Perhaps it has to do with the Lloyd family fortune, like you said,” Owen pointed out. “The Taylors, both Jamie and her brother, are good people. But they don’t come from a terribly wealthy family, I’m afraid.”

“Yeah,” Dani conceded as she thought about what she knew of the family as well as what Jamie had outright told her. “It’s the only thing I can think of, really. But I tried talking to her about it; said I didn’t care how much money Viola had and that kind of thing isn’t important to me. I told her I care way more about a person’s character. Jamie said she knew as much and…I believed her.” Dani reflected on the way Jamie had looked at her, spoken to her. She really did get the sense that Jamie knew those things weren’t important to her.

“Have you tried calling her?”

“Of course,” Dani quickly dismissed Owen’s question, feeling a little guilty at his look of surprise at her brusque tone. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. I tried calling her house Tuesday and no one answered. I went to the hardware store yesterday and her boss told me she quit. So I called her house _again_ and her dad told me she left, she just…left. He has no idea where she went or when she’ll be back.”

“Oh dear,” Hannah murmured as she processed the new bit of information. “No one has any idea where she is?”

“Well, I don’t know. Her dad said he doesn’t; said he didn’t know who would either.”

For the first time since Hannah and Owen had arrived in her classroom, a silence fell over the group of friends. Dani could tell they were just as confused as she was and racking their brains for anything to either help or reassure her.

Eventually, Owen gave her a sad smile, “Well, this certainly does explain why you’ve been so off this week.”

Despite how hopeless she felt after rehashing the entire story, the observation that was intended to gently ease the solemn energy in the room did its job and she gave a small, sad smile. “Yeah, it’s been…a lot.”

The shrill ring of the school bell cut through the quiet classroom and three pairs of eyes sought out the clock on the wall as if startled the class period was already over.

“We should get out of the way before we get trampled by a stampede of students eager to dissect an undoubtedly thrilling tome,” Owen joked and glanced up; his teasing smile fell as he realized an English teacher and a librarian weren’t the ideal audience for his sarcastic remark. He stood up and quickly began returning the room to its original order – moving his and Hannah’s chairs back to the desks they belonged to and picking up the nearly empty mugs of tea.

Hannah walked around the desk to bring Dani into a warm hug. “I’m sure everything will be fine. She probably just needs some time, but I’m sure she’ll be back soon.”

“Who among us can say we made the best decisions at – what? Seventeen? Eighteen?” Owen looked to Dani as he adjusted the mugs in his hands.

“She’s nineteen,” Dani corrected before giving a small nod, “But I see your point.” However, she didn’t really agree with his assessment. Jamie was different; she was more mature than most of her peers on account of having to doing a bulk of the work raising Mikey from such a young age. It wasn’t like Jamie to just recklessly run off somewhere.

“If you need anything, call me,” Hannah said as she gave Dani’s arm a reassuring squeeze before stepping back as students began to trickle into the room.

“I will, thank you,” Dani said as she watched her friends leave before trying to push thoughts of Jamie aside so she could focus on teaching her final class of the week.

On the walk home that afternoon, Dani reflected on her conversation with Hannah and Owen and felt a surge of gratitude over how compassionate and supportive they were. She’d been terrified to tell them about Jamie for weeks and even though they’d had a week of getting used to the idea, or rather, their _assumption_ before it was confirmed, they hadn’t judged her at all. No, they’d been there to listen and had tried to help her sort through the worries and concerns that had been plaguing her all week.

It dawned on Dani that if anyone were to know about Jamie’s whereabouts apart from the people she’d already talked to, it was _her_ friends. The problem, however, was that Dani had no idea how to get in touch with them. She knew their first names, but not their surnames. Although Dani wasn’t completely above the idea of calling up every Leo, Alison, or Ian listed in the phonebook until she reached the right one, such an effort would require an extreme about of time and patience – and would certainly make her look about as desperate as she felt.

As she made her way into her flat, Dani continued to sort through ways to find Jamie’s friends before she settled on the idea of trying the pub. Though there were plenty of pubs in the town Jamie lived, she’d seen them at the same one twice, or rather, seen them at the pub and then accompanied them to the same pub a few weeks later. She hoped that meant they were loyal customers and tended to frequent the one pub. Regardless, it was the best lead she had so she decided it was worth a shot.

After taking a moment to change out of her work clothes and into something more casual, Dani caught the bus to Jamie’s town. Her mood was not quite as cheerful as the previous times she’d headed in the same direction, but for the first time in days she was filled with a persistent sense of hope.

Dani held her head high as she strolled into the pub, her gaze eagerly drifting over each and every face twice until she was sure that none of them were even the slightest bit familiar. With a sigh, she took a seat at the bar, making sure to carefully select a bar stool that gave her a great view of the front door so she could see everyone who came in.

She slammed her first pint back quicker than she realized as the stress of the week caught up to her. Her second beer she nursed much more cautiously. Although the alcohol was a welcome distraction, she didn’t want to be drunk if she did happen to find Jamie’s friends – or worse, get so drunk she completely missed them if they did show up.

A little over an hour after Dani arrived, the door opened and Dani glanced over to do her usual scan of the new arrival. It only took a moment before the face registered as one she recognized and she sat up straighter on her bar stool.

“Ian!” Dani called out with a bright smile as she waved to him. She watched as the man responded to the name, glancing around until he met her gaze. His eyebrows quirked up, a smirk forming on his face before she saw the recognition flash through his eyes. His smirk remained in place as he made his way around tables and patrons before claiming one of the empty stools beside her.

“Well, fancy seeing you here. You’re Jamie’s friend, right?” Ian asked, glancing over to catch the bartender’s eye as he lifted his hand in a gesture to order.

“Dani,” she reminded him with a nod.

“Dani, right,” Ian repeated, his eyes wandering over her for a moment before meeting her gaze once more. “Look, not that I’m unhappy to see you…and believe me, I’m always thrilled when a gorgeous woman such as yourself is excited to see me, but if this is an attempt at a reverse ‘magic fingers’ type scenario, I feel like I should warn you it’s not any more likely to work on Jamie than it did on me. She’s not the jealous type either.”

“What? No,” Dani shook her head at the thought, “That’s not why I’m here.”

“Alright,” Ian said with a nod as he shifted his body a bit more towards her. “Have to admit, I’m a bit relieved to hear that…if that _had_ been your intention and I just blew my chance to sleep with you, don’t know if I ever would have recovered. Jamie should praise me for my loyalty.”

“Well, again, I wasn’t offering,” Dani clarified, “But that last thing you said, that’s kind of what I wanted to ask about. I know you two are close. Her dad told me she went to London and I was wondering if you knew where she was? Or how to contact her?”

Ian eyed her for a moment, only distracted when a pint was placed in front of him. “I take it Jamie didn’t tell you she was leaving?”

Dani swallowed down the hurt that rose up at the question; the same pain that had been waxing and waning over the 24 hours that had passed since she’d first learned that Jamie had left town. “No, she, uh, she didn’t,” Dani admitted softly.

Ian sipped his pint before setting it down with a sigh, “Seems I wouldn’t be a very good friend to reveal that information then, would I? If she wanted you to know that, she probably would have told you.”

Dani bit her lower lip as she considered what he said. She couldn’t blame him for not wanting to tell her when he was simply being a good friend to Jamie. At the same time, Ian seemed to be the most promising lead she’d found. “You do know where she is then?” She asked as she wrapped her hand around her pint glass. “You’ve spoken to her recently?”

She watched as he hesitated before giving a slight nod, offering no more information than that.

“Is she okay?” Dani asked, her eyes pleading with him to tell her the truth. “I haven’t heard from her since Sunday. She was at my place and then…something freaked her out, I guess. I’ve just been so worried about her.”

Ian’s expression softened as he listened to Dani’s explanation. “I’ve been trying to figure out why she bolted in the first place, seems like something happened between you two?”

Dani gave a helpless shrug, “We were just talking and everything seemed fine…but then, I don’t know. She got weird about something. She promised she wasn’t mad at me, but then I haven’t heard from her all week, so I kinda have to assume it is about me.”

“Like I said, she didn’t tell me why she was leaving, so I can’t help you there,” Ian admitted. “But I will tell you that she _said_ she’s doing okay, though she sounded just like you – a bit off, kinda down. I tried to ask her more, but she just rushed me off the phone, said she had to go but that she was fine and not to worry.”

Dani nodded as she tried to take comfort in that, but found it did little to ease her concern. “I was just hoping that I could talk to her. I just thought if I could get her to say why she was so upset, I could make it better. I really care about her and to know she’s off in a big city all alone…well, I’m worried. I don’t know what she’s running from but I don’t think London has whatever she’s looking for.”

Ian chuckled as he sipped his drink, “Can’t say I disagree with you.” He tilted his head as he evaluated Dani again, “As her best mate, I think I have the right to say Jamie’s being a proper knob by running from a woman like you.”

“I don’t think she’s running from _me_ ,” Dani clarified, although she wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince Ian or reassure herself. “I think something has her worried and I want to help her with whatever it is.”

Ian was quiet as he considered that and took another long sip of his beer. Dani took a sip of her own drink as she waited to see if he was going to help her out. When the silence between them lingered, she spoke up again.

“If you could let me know how to reach her, just a phone number, I could try to make things better. Get her to come back home.”

“If I had a number for her, I’d give it to you,” Ian admitted. “She’s called once or twice this week, but only from payphones.”

“Oh,” Dani felt her pleading expression fall as she processed that bit of information. “Well, can you…if she calls again, can you tell her to call me. Please?”

“I can,” Ian agreed with a nod. He paused and searched her face again, but she wasn’t sure what he was looking for. “Can also give you the name of the place she’s staying.”

Dani perked up and her eyes widened as hope and excitement sparked through her body. “Really?”

Ian chuckled softly at her enthusiastic reaction and tilted his head, “I think I can safely say that Jamie’s being an idiot. I also think you may be the only one who can get through to her.”

A flattered smile spread across Dani’s face at the comment and she hoped he was right. “Thank you, I really appreciate that.”

“Don’t know her room number or anything,” Ian admitted as he grabbed a cocktail napkin and reached over the bar to grab a stray pen. “But I know the name of the place and the street. Should be enough to lead you to her.”

“Yes, that’d be great,” Dani eagerly nodded as she watched him scribble down the information. A grateful smile spread across her face as she carefully accepted the napkin, studying the information to commit it to memory before tucking it into her purse.

“Don’t make me regret giving you that,” Ian warned as he placed the pen back where he’d found it. “Just bring our Jamie home, alright?”

“I will,” Dani promised with a resolute nod.

Ian seemed satisfied with her response as he drained the rest of his beer. He glanced over at her with a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. “Some good makeup sex should do the trick.”

Dani felt a bright brush spread across her cheeks at the comment and she tried hard not to picture exactly that. “I think talking about things might be better,” she replied, trying to hide her flustered reaction behind a sip from her pint.

“Fine, talking then sex,” Ian conceded. “Do I get to hear about the dirty details as a thank you for giving you that address?”

“You can’t set conditions to helping me out after you already gave me the address,” Dani shot back with a laugh. “Should have thought that one through a little better.”

“Ah, damn,” Ian sighed, though an amused smile remained on his face. “Shall I order us a round of shots to toast to getting Jamie back?”

Dani considered it but shook her head, “I should get back. Looks like I have some packing to do.”

* * *

That night, Dani fell into a fitful sleep. It took far longer than she wanted to calm her eager and anxious thoughts and still her restless muscles until she could finally succumb to much needed sleep. However, not long after she drifted off she was awoken by a ringing telephone.

Dani sleepily grumbled as she was ripped from sleep, initially under the impression it was coming from one of her neighbor’s flats. Once Dani realized it was her own phone, she climbed out of bed and softly padded toward the living room.

It wasn’t the first time Dani had been pulled from sleep by her phone in the middle of the night; her mother had a bad habit of conveniently forgetting the time difference when she got a little too drunk and had grievances to air – whether directed at Dani or others. After their conversation on Wednesday, Dani was expecting the call to be from a drunken Karen Clayton who possibly wasn’t coping with the news of her daughter’s sexual orientation as well as she had seemed.

“Hello?” She asked as she pressed the handset to her ear and hid a yawn behind her hand.

She strained to hear anything other than silence on the other end of the call and then finally, the sound of a soft exhale.

“Hey Poppins.”

Dani’s eyes widened as she was confronted with the voice she’d been longing to hear for days. She suddenly felt much more alert as she tightened her grip on the handset, as if holding on tight enough would prevent Jamie from slipping away.

“Jamie?” She questioned and then immediately regretted even asking when it was obvious. She blamed her sleep-addled state for not thinking of anything better to start off the long-awaited conversation.

“Yeah,” Jamie replied, followed by a chuckle that seemed to lack any real humor, “Haven’t forgotten about me already, have you?”

Dani would have been more upset over the joke; she _wanted_ to be annoyed that it was the first thing Jamie had said to her in days. However, the words were filled with more misery than mirth and there was something else noticeably off about her speech.

“Are you drunk?” The question was uttered in as gentle a voice as she could manage; she didn’t want to scare Jamie off by coming across as confrontational or angry.

There was a brief pause and then a sniff, “Might have had a few drinks.”

Dani tried to make out the time from the wall clock, but it was much too dark in her flat to see anything clearly. She sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. A hundred questions flitted through her mind and she tried to figure out which to ask, knowing the wrong one might cause Jamie to end the call.

“Are you okay?” Dani asked, her concern evident in her voice as she waited for the answer to the question she deemed most important.

“Told you not to worry about me,” Jamie replied, her words slurring slightly due to her inebriated state.

Dani fought back her wave of irritation at the comment. She knew that Jamie wasn’t trying to be stubborn, but her response irked Dani anyway.

“And I told you that wasn’t possible. I care about you, Jamie, so much. I…” she hesitated as she wondered if she should keep her next thought to herself in case it wasn’t what Jamie wanted to hear. However, she pushed ahead knowing she might as well be honest. “I miss you. A lot. Where are you?”

Even though she knew where Jamie was, that is, if the information she received from Ian was correct, she wanted Jamie to tell her herself. Or to let her know she was done running away from whatever it was that had caused her to flee and she was coming home.

“Take it you figured out I’m not at home.”

“Jamie,” Dani said in a quiet but firm tone to encourage her to answer the question she had asked.

“I…I don’t want you to worry about that. I’m fine, I promise,” Jamie insisted, her voice sounding nearly sober as if she was summoning all of her mental energy to reassure Dani. “I shouldn’t have called you,” she admitted with another humorless chuckle, “Fuck, get a few drinks in me and I can’t get that part of me that needs to hear your voice to shut up.”

Dani felt her heart seize with hope at the words. Surely Jamie must still care about her if she had that part of her that craved to talk to her. “Why are you trying to get it to shut up?” She questioned gently, biting her lip to stop herself from reminding Jamie that she could be hearing her voice in person if she hadn’t run off to London.

If things were going the way they _should_ then Jamie should be with her in her flat, curled up beside her in bed and sleeping peacefully. Instead, she was drunk somewhere in London and calling Dani for reasons unknown.

“Shouldn’t have called,” Jamie murmured, but the sound was distant, as if she wasn’t speaking in the phone anymore, but to herself, “Shouldn’t have fucking called,” she repeated, the frustration and anger in her voice sending a stab of pain shooting through Dani.

“Jamie?” A hint of desperation crept into her voice as she tried to get the other woman back on the phone with her.

“Look, Dani,” Jamie said into the phone, the bitterness in her voice melting away to something much gentler. “I’m sorry I woke you; it was a moment of weakness. I promise I’ll not bother you like this again.”

“No, don’t go. You’re not bothering me,” Dani insisted in a frantic rush, determined to keep her on the line.

“I should go,” Jamie decided, more conviction held within her words than her wavering tone. “And I’m okay. Really. I’m not gone for good, just…for now. But don’t – or, _try_ not to worry about me, yeah? I’m sorry I’ve worried you already.”

Dani knew she wasn’t going to get answers tonight. Not with how little Jamie was giving away other than her level of intoxication and the way she seemed to genuinely miss Dani’s voice. She took a small scrap of comfort in knowing where Jamie was, even if she didn’t hear it directly from Jamie herself.

“Please take care of yourself,” Dani begged, her stomach churning as she thought of Jamie alone and drunk in an unfamiliar city. She hoped that if Jamie wasn’t calling from her hotel, she was at least somewhere nearby. Everything else that Dani wanted to say she fought to keep from slipping out. Her plans for the following day hadn’t changed and she didn’t want to give anything away that might cause Jamie to run again before she had a chance to talk to her face-to-face.

“I will,” Jamie promised, her voice filled with a sadness that echoed the despair Dani felt. “You do the same. Please.” Her voice broke around the ‘please’ and Dani wasn’t sure if that was to do with emotion or alcohol, but if she had to guess, it was the former.

It took everything in Dani not to beg her to stay on the call, knowing Jamie was regretting calling – regretting causing Dani any more pain. It wouldn’t help either of them for her to try and drag out this painful conversation.

As if sensing that Dani was debating trying to keep her on the line, Jamie made the decision for them, “Bye Dani,” she whispered before hanging up the call.

Dani took a deep breath as she returned the handset to the cradle. Tears gathered at the corner of her eyes, but she blinked them away. She refused to succumb to her sorrow, instead she chose to cling tightly to her shred of optimism. Jamie cared about her; missed her even. Dani closed her eyes and silently pleaded that if she found Jamie tomorrow, she would be willing to talk to her; to work with her to make things right. With a deep sigh of resignation, she returned to her bed, but with little hope of getting anything close to a restful night’s sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, hear me out, initially Jamie wasn't even supposed to be in this chapter. But then I thought the Shananigans Defense Squad that's been formed would have been very busy trying to keep me safe after a second update with no Jamie. So...the phone call. Better than nothing? Maybe?
> 
> I know I say this every time, but I mean it every time. Thank you everyone for reading, leaving kudos, and commenting. I appreciate every single comment on here and ask/message over on Tumblr. I cannot find the proper words to express how grateful I am for all of you and how happy your feedback/messages make me. 
> 
> Special shoutout to Airwrenn over on tumblr for your wonderful (and beautifully named) playlist which helped me focus enough to write an important scene in this chapter. I will always bow down to your fantastic music recs. Also thank you to paperkites3 for sharing your amazing playlists with me! They kept me focused while I was adding that last minute Jamie scene.


	33. Chapter 33

The trip from Goldthorpe to London was only three hours, but it may as well have been three days for how interminable the train ride seemed.

Dani knew she could have avoided the agony of waiting to get to London, not to mention the expense of the impromptu trip, by simply calling the place Jamie was staying. Surely they would have been able to connect her to Jamie’s room or, if the room didn’t have a phone, inform Jamie she had a call waiting at the front desk. At the very least, they could have taken a message and given it to Jamie. However, none of those options alleviated Dani’s worry as the possibility of not getting Jamie on the phone, or of Jamie ignoring her requests to call her back, was a very possible outcome.

Although Dani was aware of just how similar her surprise visit was to the one Judy and Eddie had startled her with the other week, she convinced herself this was different. At the heart of it though, she knew both visits were driven by good intentions. She was desperate to see Jamie; to know she was okay and to do what she could to comfort her through whatever she was going through.

When the train arrived at the station, Dani pulled out the map she’d meticulously marked the night before and began making her way towards the part of South London where Jamie was staying. The sprawling city was just as overwhelming as it had been when she’d studied abroad and Dani eventually decided against navigating the bustling crowds and attempting to figure out public transportation. The last thing Dani wanted to deal with on an already stressful day was getting lost in an unfamiliar city, so she flagged down a cab to take her to the hotel in the heart of Southwark.

Dani’s heart began to race rapidly in her chest as soon as the brick building with the faded sign came into view. Her anxiety warred with her excitement, leaving her in a precarious emotional state as she entered the nondescript hotel. She glanced around the small, dingy lobby until her gaze settled on the front desk, staffed by a young woman who looked like she wasn’t paid nearly enough to care about her job. Her short, messily styled, dark hair seemed to be a poor imitation of Joan Jett. The numerous piercings lining her ears, the ring through her eyebrow, and the slight scowl on her face gave her a rather intimidating look; especially compared to Dani, who was clad in a puffy purple coat, fuzzy pink sweater, and light-wash jeans.

“Hi,” Dani greeted with a smile as she approached the desk, “I was wondering if you could tell me what room Jamie Taylor is staying in?”

The woman glanced Dani over, her frown deepening at the request. “Can’t tell you that.”

Dani’s smile slipped as she approached the first hitch in the day’s journey. “Uh…please? I’ve come all this way to see her and I just want to talk to her.”

“Came all the way from America to talk to someone?” The woman, whose nametag read ‘Eliza’ asked her.

“No, uh, from South Yorkshire,” Dani clarified.

Eliza gave a thoughtful hum before glancing back at the magazine in front of her, “Can’t tell you that.”

Dani tried not to scowl as the woman repeated herself and remained entirely unhelpful. “Well, can you call up to her room? Tell her that someone’s here to see her.”

“Someone…” Eliza questioned as her gaze flitted over Dani again. It was clear from her gaze that she was trying to seek out more information about who Dani was to Jamie, if only for her own entertainment.

“Yeah, you can tell her Dani’s here to see her.” She wasn’t willing to provide any more information than that. Although the young woman didn’t strike her as someone likely to be homophobic, Dani wasn’t about to delve into the details of her complicated relationship with Jamie with a stranger.

Eliza’s gaze dropped back to her magazine as if bored by the answer. “Think she’s out.”

Dani bit her lip to keep in a frustrated sigh, instead focusing on the fact the response seemed to confirm that Jamie was, in fact, still staying there.

“Alright, I’ll wait for her then,” Dani decided out loud as she wandered to the back of the lobby to make herself comfortable on an armchair that had seen far better days. After setting her backpack beside her, she pulled out a book and prepared for a potentially long wait. She’d caught the earliest train to London, which had seemed like a great idea at the time; however, now it was a little before noon and she had no idea when Jamie would be back for the day. She might be out until the early hours of the morning if the phone call the night before was any indication of how Jamie was spending her time.

Dani planned to wait however long she had to. It was the closest she’d been to Jamie in nearly a week and she wasn’t giving up now.

“Does she even want to see you?” Eliza asked after several minutes had passed.

At first, Dani thought she was addressing someone else or taking a phone call. When she glanced up and saw Eliza’s gaze fixed on her, she realized she was expected to answer.

“Oh. Yeah. She…she does,” Dani replied with a bit more confidence than she felt. She hoped what she said was true, but either way, she wasn’t going to open about her concerns to the blunt woman behind the counter.

Eliza let out a hum before returning her attention to the magazine.

Several more minutes passed before Eliza spoke up again. “If she doesn’t want you here; if you’re stalking her or trying to threaten her, I’m not afraid to call the police and have them drag you out of here.”

Dani glanced up with wide eyes. She certainly hoped Jamie wasn’t going to react to her unexpected arrival in a way that warranted the police being called. “Trust me, that won’t be necessary,” Dani insisted. “I’m not a stalker.”

“Just saying, you try to harass a guest, I’m allowed to call the cops on you.”

“Okay…duly noted,” Dani replied hesitantly, not sure what else to say to the mildly threatening comment.

Over an hour passed as Dani tried to concentrate on her book. Unfortunately, her nervous thoughts proved to be a much greater pull on her attention and she found herself frequently lost in hypothetical scenarios of how the day could play out. She mentally rehearsed all the different ways she could try to start a conversation with Jamie, then contemplated which one was likely to result in the best outcome. To add to her already distracted state, Dani could tell Eliza’s scrutinizing gaze frequently rested on her; her sharp eyes narrowing as she tried to figure Dani out.

Eventually, Dani was able to clear her mind enough to at least take in the words on the page; whether or not they were being properly encoded and stored was another matter entirely. Her tenuous focus only held out for a matter of minutes before it was broken by a voice. A very familiar voice.

“Can I have the key to my room, please?”

Dani’s head snapped up as she stared at the back of a head of brown curls. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Eliza’s gaze briefly cut to her before she turned to do as requested.

“Jamie?” Dani asked, her voice wavering with the rush of emotions she felt at simply being in the same room with the other woman. It felt a bit silly to be so choked up seeing as it had been less than a week since she’d last seen Jamie, but the six days that had passed had been some of the longest and most stressful Dani had ever endured.

Jamie turned at the sound of her name, her eyes widening with surprise as she saw Dani slowly rising to her feet. “Dani,” she gasped, her voice soft and filled with disbelief as if she didn’t fully trust what she was seeing.

Dani took a small amount of comfort in the reaction. It certainly wasn’t as negative as she had feared. A small, timid smile worked its way onto her face as she took a cautious step closer. Before she could say anything, or even decide what _to_ say, Jamie’s attention was being called away.

“Here’s your key,” Eliza announced, a little louder than strictly necessary to convey the information.

Jamie turned back, appearing startled by the woman behind her before accepting the offered key with a quiet murmur of thanks.

Dani observed the brief interaction – the smile on Eliza’s face that she hadn’t seen once in the nearly two hours she’d been in the lobby, the way Eliza’s hand lingered after Jamie took the key, the lustful look that burned in her brown eyes as she stared at Jamie’s face. It certainly helped Dani understand why she’d received such a cold reception when she’d said she was looking for Jamie.

However, the explanation for the hostility did little to make her feel better. Especially as she began to wonder if something had happened between the two women while Jamie had been staying in London. Dani stopped the train of thought before it could pick up speed; it would only distract her when she needed to be sharp and focused to try and get through to Jamie.

“How did you find me?” Jamie asked as she turned away from Eliza, key clutched in her hand as she looked at Dani with the same stunned expression as before.

Dani tore her gaze away from Eliza, who was looking at her with a displeased scowl. “Uh, Ian gave me the address.”

“Ian?” Jamie questioned and shook her head as if the answer only raised more questions, which it likely had.

“Do you need me to call the police?” Eliza questioned. “If she’s bothering you, I’m more than happy to – ”

“No,” Jamie said quickly, barely sparing a confused glance over her shoulder to Eliza before looking back at Dani. “No, there’s no need for that.”

A relieved smile appeared on Dani’s lips as she took another step closer. “I was hoping we could talk. If that’s okay with you?”

“Yeah. Yeah, of course,” Jamie replied, nodding as if to bring herself out of her stupor as she glanced toward the antiquated lift. “Maybe we should talk upstairs?”

Dani was only too quick to give a nod of agreement. She had no desire to spend more time in the lobby with Eliza glaring in her direction. She tucked her book into her backpack before throwing a single strap over her shoulder and joining Jamie in the elevator. After Jamie closed the gate and pressed the button for her floor, a silence settled over the pair as the lift hummed to life.

“It’s good to see you,” Dani said softly as she focused on Jamie’s face.

Jamie swallowed as she ducked her head, “You too,” she murmured so quietly, Dani almost didn’t catch it over the sound of the elevator. When it stopped on the correct floor, she silently followed Jamie out and to her room. She noticed the ‘16’ in the middle of the door and bit back a playful comment about Jamie coming around to one of her favorite numbers. With the tension hanging heavily between them, it didn’t seem like the best place to start the conversation they needed to have.

After unlocking the door, Jamie stepped aside to let Dani enter first. She offered a shy smile as she stepped inside, her gaze sweeping over the plain and rather run-down room. She set her bag gently by the wall and placed her coat over it.

“It’s not much,” Jamie explained as she shut the door behind them. “But it was cheap.”

Dani nodded, not caring in the least about the look of the place. In fact, it was just about the furthest thing from her mind as she realized she was alone in a room with Jamie. She moved towards a chair in the corner of the room, deciding this was a conversation that was best to have while sitting down. Although she wouldn’t admit as much out loud, she was also eager to get Jamie away from the door in case she decided to run again.

“Do you want to sit?” Dani gestured towards the double bed as she adjusted the chair before taking a seat.

Jamie wordlessly made her way over and perched lightly on the corner of the bed, facing Dani.

The four feet between them felt like too little and too much space all at the same time. Dani swallowed nervously as she tucked a strand of hair behind her hear. For all the mental planning and preparation she’d done for this very moment, she suddenly found herself at a loss for words.

Jamie broke the silence as she fixed her gaze on a spot just over Dani’s head. “Look, Dani, I know I have a lot to explain. I’m sure you’re probably fuming, and you have every right – ”

Dani held up a hand to cut Jamie off. “You’re right, you do have a lot to explain. I want to hear what you have to say, but…can I say something first?”

Jamie’s surprised gaze dropped to hers as soon as Dani cut her off. Her expression morphed into one of confusion with more than a hint of fear as she slowly nodded.

The fearful look in Jamie’s eyes matched the dread sitting heavily in Dani’s stomach as she drew in a deep, calming breath. She wasn’t sure what Jamie had been about to say – if she was going to make a clean break and tear down what had been building between them or if she wanted to open up in an attempt to fix things. Whichever direction the conversation was headed in, Dani hoped to avoid a repeat of the week before.

“Please just tell me the truth, okay? I knew something wasn’t right on Sunday and it was so frustrating seeing you so closed off. You’ve always been honest with me before – maybe even a little _too_ honest in the beginning. It’s been so hard this week not knowing what was going on in your head, so please, whatever it is, whatever made you quit your job and go to London, just…tell me, okay? I don’t think I can take it if you sit here and lie to me again.”

An embarrassed flush tinged Jamie’s cheeks pink as she dropped her head but gave a nod in response to Dani’s request. “Yeah, I, uh, I’m sorry. For lying,” Jamie clarified as she glanced back up at Dani, “For all of it, really.”

“What’s going on?” Dani questioned gently as she turned the conversation back over to Jamie. Although she was terrified to hear the response, she was also relieved that she might finally get the answers she’d been seeking all week.

Jamie hesitated as she ran a hand through her hair and avoided Dani’s gaze again. “It’s stupid,” she started before pausing and giving a quick shake of her head as if to cancel that statement. “Well, I mean, it’s not. It’s important. But I know I worried you and I didn’t mean to. Though looking back, I think I went about everything all wrong and worried you even more.”

Dani let out a sharp, incredulous laugh at the understatement before shaking her head apologetically when Jamie glanced over in surprise at the sound. “Sorry,” she murmured and gestured for Jamie to continue.

“Right, well, it wasn’t my intention to cause you any concern or upset you. That’s the last thing I wanted. I just want you to be happy.”

Jamie paused as her hands clenched and unclenched in the bedspread beneath her hands, her gaze focused to the side as if hoping whatever words she was searching for would be written on the wall.

Dani found that patience was not on her side as she waited for Jamie to give an actual explanation for her odd behavior. “You thought I’d be happy if you left?” She asked, attempting to keep her tone free of judgment over the ludicrous idea.

Jamie finally turned her head to properly focus on Dani, her gaze searching her face. The nerves reflected in her tight expression eased ever so slightly as she shook her head. “No, not exactly. I just…when you were talking last week about the date your friend set you up on, it struck me that you haven’t really gotten to do that, you know? You’ve only just started accepting that you like women and exploring that part of yourself. And trust me, I love that you’ve wanted to explore all of that with me.”

A brief hint of a smile appeared on Jamie’s face; a shadow of her usual smirk as if she couldn’t quite manage the expression when she was so down. Just as quickly as it appeared, it was gone and she shook her head sharply as if to remind herself to stay on track.

“But Christ, Dani. You spend one evening with Viola Lloyd and have her wrapped around your finger. Not that I’m surprised because I’m sure she just had to take one look at you to be hooked.”

“I don’t like her,” Dani cut in, her words insistent and laced with frustration because of how clearly she tried to make that point on Sunday.

“I know you don’t,” Jamie quickly replied to appease Dani’s irritated frown. “You said you didn’t and I believe you. I meant the caliber of women you could be getting if you put yourself out there. You already have the attention of one of the wealthiest women in the country. She sounds like a nightmare, but there must be tons of other women who are beautiful, smart, and accomplished who are kinder and far less aggressive than her who’d be dying to take you out.”

Dani furrowed her brow as she tried to follow along with Jamie’s reason for leaving. “Why couldn’t you have just said that on Sunday? We could have talked about that and I would have told you that I don’t care about any of those hypothetical women you’ve conjured up.”

“I know you would have,” Jamie said softly. “If I brought it up, you would have listened and been patient and caring and you would have made it so easy for me to just dismiss my concerns. It wouldn’t have changed the truth of the matter though, and the truth is you deserve to be with someone far better than me.”

Dani felt her heart clench painfully in her chest at the amount of conviction in Jamie’s words. “Jamie, that’s just not true…”

“It is,” Jamie insisted. “It is true, Dani. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met and I’ve been selfish keeping you all to myself. This whole time, I’ve been so selfish.” She let out a bitter chuckle as she raked a hand roughly through her brown curls. “I was just some cocky little shit who was so gone for you that I thought I stood a chance. Even made you believe I could be worth your time too, but I’ve just been holding you back.”

“You’re not holding me back,” Dani shot back, trying to cut into Jamie’s self-flagellating rant.

“I _am_ though. You might not see it now. But if I’d stayed; if I’d agreed to be your girlfriend, you would have resented me. Maybe not anytime soon, but one day you would have woken up and realized you’d settled when you could have had the whole world.”

“Jamie,” Dani said softly as she swallowed to keep back the sadness that was rising up inside her at the pained look in Jamie’s eyes. She struggled to find the right words to convince Jamie how _wrong_ she was. She knew this could easily turn into a futile back and forth with Dani listing all of the ways in which Jamie was exactly what she wanted and Jamie dismissing and deflecting each and every word of praise. It might even escalate into an argument as both dug their heels in further trying to make their point. Instead, she opted for a different approach.

“You don’t get to decide that.”

Jamie blinked in surprise, clearly having expected a much different response. “I’m sorry?”

“You don’t get to decide that,” Dani repeated. “I hear where you’re coming from and I know you’re trying to do what you think is in my best interest, but you don’t get to say what’s best for me. I make those decisions.”

“Dani, I wasn’t trying to – ”

“I know you weren’t trying to, but you were,” Dani pointed out, her voice clear of any anger or irritation. “I’ve lived my whole life with others trying to guide me in the direction they think is best for me and I’ve sat back and let it happen. But moving here, making friends, spending time with you…that’s all been me. My choices. You didn’t make me go out with you, Jamie. Sure, your actions and your words made me want to get to know…but it was my decision to follow through with what I wanted. Despite all the potential consequences, I chose to get to know you, Jamie, and I’m so glad I did.”

There were tears in Jamie’s eyes as she dropped her gaze to her lap, as if finding it too difficult to look at Dani while she spoke.

Dani gave Jamie a moment when she saw her pulling in slow, shaky breaths to try to stave away tears. She decided to shift the conversation to address something else that had been on her mind.

“You’re pretty new to this whole ‘being out’ thing too, you know,” she acknowledged as she tilted her head to the side. “I’m the first person you’ve ever gone on a date with and there haven’t been too many women you’ve had…other experiences with before me. Do you…” she paused to take a breath to calm her frantically beating heart, “Do you want to date around? See other women? Maybe that’s part of why you wanted to come to London…”

Jamie’s gaze snapped up as her eyebrows pulled together and she quickly shook her head. “Of course not,” she scoffed, “You really think I came here to find other women? Haven’t even been able to think of anyone else, let alone look for someone.”

The response eased Dani’s sudden distress and she felt the tension release from her posture at the confirmation Jamie hadn’t run off to do any exploring. Didn’t seem to _want_ to do any exploring.

“You’re sure you’re not interested in trying to date around? See who else is out there?”

Jamie shook her head stubbornly, her expression appearing offended that Dani would even ask such a question.

“So can you maybe accept that I feel the exact same way?”

Jamie hesitated at the question, as if startled by it even though it had been right there the minute Dani had started down this line of questioning.

“It’s not that I don’t believe you,” Jamie said slowly, carefully selecting each word so as not to upset Dani. “And I’m not trying to make any decisions for you. It’s just that it’s hard to get past this feeling that you’re settling. That you’d be much happier if you just forgot about me and moved on.”

Dani frowned as she saw the hopelessness in Jamie’s expression, as if she’d already resigned herself to a Dani-less life of sadness at the age of nineteen. Silently she stood up and dragged her chair closer to the bed. When she plopped back into the chair, she tried not to chuckle at the confusion written across Jamie’s face and instead held her gaze as she reached out to take Jamie’s hands in hers. With their new closeness, Dani’s knees brushed against Jamie’s but she didn’t pull away from the contact and was relieved when Jamie didn’t either.

“You know what you said before about me being the most amazing woman you’ve ever met?” She waited until she saw the hesitant nod of confirmation before she continued, “Well, that’s exactly how I feel about you.” She saw Jamie’s mouth open as if gearing up to refute the claim, but she didn’t give her a chance. “I know you may disagree, but trust me, I don’t agree with your assessment of me either. For every good quality of mine you could come up with, I’m sure I could come right back with a bad one. And I’m sure if I listed every quality I admire in you, you’d hurtle a bad one right back at me. We don’t have to always see all of our good qualities, we just have to trust each other, right? I’ll trust that you like both the good and bad stuff about me as I do with you.”

Jamie’s mouth opened again, but despite Dani not cutting her off this time, no words came out. She closed her mouth, her eyes appearing slightly troubled, yet hopeful as she nodded in agreement.

Dani squeezed her hands and continued to hold Jamie’s gaze, making sure she was listening to what she was about to say. “We don’t know what’s going to happen. We could get bored of each other in six months. Or one of us might outgrow the relationship and decide we want something else. I hope that doesn’t happen, but if we’re just honest with each other about how we’re feeling, we can either try to talk through our problems and see if we can find a solution, or just agree to go our separate ways. I wouldn’t ever try to trap you to make you stay and I know you wouldn’t try to make me stay. Obviously.” She added the last part with glance around the hotel room to indicate the larger situation it represented. The reason they were there in the first place.

“We just have to promise to tell each other how we’re feeling, okay? We can’t predict how we’ll feel about each other a month, a year, even ten years from now. But if we agree to be honest and just talk about what’s going on, I think we’ll end up avoiding a lot of unnecessary pain.”

Jamie swallowed before nodding along with what Dani said. “Yeah, I…I can do that,” she agreed, her expression containing no trace of her earlier sadness as she looked at Dani with only hope shining in her eyes. “I _want_ to do that. I promise I’ll be honest with you.”

A relieved smile spread across Dani’s face at the assurance, “Good.”

Jamie’s smile matched her own as she stroked a thumb over the back of Dani’s knuckles while her other hand reached up to brush aside a strand of blonde hair and tuck it securely behind Dani’s ear.

A flicker of nervousness appeared in Jamie’s eyes as she met the blue-eyed gaze watching her, “So, Dani, will you be my – ”

“Wait,” Dani said before Jamie could finish her very important question. “I want you to finish that thought later, but we still have something to discuss first.”

“We do?” Jamie asked, her lips turning down in a confused frown.

“Yeah,” Dani gave a firm nod. “We have to talk about how mad I am at you.”

Jamie’s eyes widened and she sat up straighter, but kept Dani’s hand in hers. “Right, I…uh, guess I expected that.”

“You can’t just run off like that, Jamie,” Dani explained, her tone patient but reflecting every bit of her exhaustion. “Not only was I worried sick about you but I didn’t even know you’d left! Not until Thursday, anyway. Your dad didn’t even know where you were. You can’t just do that, you know? Not when there are people who care about you.”

“I know,” Jamie agreed, her remorse evident in her voice and guilty expression. “It was stupid to run. I knew if I stayed I wouldn’t be able to not see you. I’d end up on your doorstep or hanging around the school just to see you because I missed you so much. So I thought…and this wasn’t right, I know, but I thought if I put distance between us, hell, even if you got mad at me, then you might try to move on. Find someone better.”

A sigh escaped Dani at the explanation, but they’d already discussed Jamie’s flawed logic and there was no use revisiting it when it seemed they were already on the same page. “I think you know better than to do something like that again?”

“If there is a next time, I’ll talk to you like I promised.”

“You should have at least told your dad where you were,” Dani pointed out. “I know you told Ian, but it’s not safe to head off to a city alone without people knowing how to reach you.”

“Well, technically,” Jamie started with a hint of a smile on her face, “I did tell Mikey. I called him every day after school to make sure he got in okay and to make sure he started on his homework instead of just watching TV until Dad got home. Gave him the address and the number at the front desk and everything. Didn’t even realize he hadn’t passed that information along until he said something yesterday about ‘Dad wondering where I was’,” Jamie affectionately rolled her eyes as she reflected on her brother’s antics.

“Ended up calling back later to talk to my dad,” she paused and her gaze dropped down to focus on their clasped hands. “Didn’t think he’d be all that worried, just wanted to clear things up. But, uh…didn’t realize how me running off like that reminded him of Mum. He thought I might have been gone for good.”

Dani tightened her hold on Jamie’s hand as she shifted closer, encouraging her not to shy away from the emotions she was trying to hold back.

“We talked through it; I promised him I’d be home soon and I think he was glad to hear it. It was…a lot, honestly. Needed a few drinks after to drown out the guilt for causing everyone so much pain over my stupid decision to come here.”

Dani thought about the drunken phone call the night before; pictured Jamie sitting alone in a bar and trying to distract from her thoughts by consuming more alcohol than she should have. She couldn’t help but wonder if the late-night phone call was prompted by Jamie’s call with her dad.

“Did he tell you to call me?”

“No, why?”

“Oh, well, when I talked to him on Thursday and found out you were gone, I asked him to tell you to call me if he heard from you,” Dani explained, not sure if she felt better or worse about Jamie having called unprompted last night.

“Ah,” Jamie said with a nod, “To be fair, he might have been intending to follow through on that…but the conversation got a bit more emotional than either of us expected. He got a bit choked up talking about mum and being worried about me…kinda rushed off the phone not long after.”

“Things are okay though?” Dani asked, hoping that Jamie’s relationship with her father wasn’t strained.

“Think so, yeah,” Jamie nodded. “He’s not big on talking about feelings, but I think he was just relieved to hear I was coming back. Though Mikey could have saved a good bit of trouble by just passing along my message on Tuesday when I told him where I was staying. Kinda hoped he’d skip that self-centered teenager phase, but it looks like he’s just starting early.”

Dani let out a soft chuckle at the exasperated huff from Jamie because she could tell she held no real irritation for her brother. It was obvious from the way she’d called to check on him every night that Jamie had still been trying to look after him even from afar.

“Yeah, I talked to him after class Wednesday…I didn’t want to bring him into our business, I was just so worried that something had happened. But he seemed happy as ever, didn’t even mention that his sister was out of town.”

“Good to know he missed me so much,” Jamie joked, prompting a small smile from Dani.

“I’m sure he did…and if not, I certainly missed you enough for the both of us.”

Jamie gave her a sad smile before shifting back on the bed and tugging on Dani’s hand. “Come here, Poppins.”

Dani caught on to what Jamie wanted and she stood from the chair and allowed Jamie to guide her onto her lap, with Dani straddling her hips. Dani’s arms came up to circle Jamie’s neck while Jamie’s wrapped around her waist and hugged her close.

“I missed you,” Dani murmured as she stroked through her hair, playing gently with the brown curls.

“Missed you so much,” Jamie replied, tightening her hold. “You still mad at me? It’s alright if you are. Wouldn’t expect you to forgive me too easily for what I did.”

Dani pulled back enough to properly look at Jamie. “Still a little mad,” she explained as she held up her thumb and index finger, a small space between them to indicate it only was a little bit of anger. “It wasn’t fair to tell me about calling Mikey every afternoon, that was too adorable to stay mad at,” she admitted before her smile wavered. “Besides, I know I haven’t acted perfectly over the last several weeks either. I didn’t tell my friends about you and I was hiding things from you, like my plans on Thanksgiving, so as not to hurt you. You could have been upset with me for a lot, but you weren’t.”

“Don’t think that’s worth getting upset over,” Jamie admitted. “This is all so new for you. And for me too, if I’m honest. Never wanted to rush you into telling anyone.”

Dani could tell Jamie meant every single word; that she really hadn’t been upset with Dani for any of it, and she found it all the more endearing. “I know you wouldn’t rush me, but you did kind of miss a lot this week.”

Jamie lifted her eyebrows as she waited for Dani to elaborate.

“My mom knows about us. Well, about me being a lesbian and that you’re…well, that Judy told her you were my girlfriend. That’s how she found out. Through Judy. She wasn’t happy and it wasn’t a very fun phone call…but I think by the end of it she was starting to come around to the idea. She said Judy told her I seemed happy with you. She wants to meet you, by the way. Wants us to go to Iowa at some point.”

Jamie’s eyebrows only raised higher in surprise as she listened. “Wow, wasn’t expecting that. I know things haven’t always been easy with you and your mum. But that’s good, yeah?”

“Yeah, it is good,” Dani agreed.

The arms around her waist tightened as Jamie began pulling her in for another embrace, but Dani allowed only a brief hug before she leaned back again. “I told my friends about us, by the way. Well, Owen and Hannah. I haven’t said anything to Rebecca yet, but I’m not as worried about her reaction because she didn’t know you when you were a student.”

“What’d they say?” Jamie asked cautiously, her expression reflecting a hint of apprehension over how Dani’s friends reacted to the news.

“Apparently they already knew, or suspected it rather.” Upon seeing Jamie’s look of total confusion, Dani decided to back up a bit. “They saw us out to dinner that night with Eddie and Judy. I ran into them on my way back from the bathroom and I panicked and told them you and I were friends. I thought I’d sold it pretty well, but when I finally told them yesterday, they said they’d pretty much figured it out that night.”

“Were you smiling too much when talking about me?” Jamie teased gently as she ran her hands over Dani’s back. “Or mooning over me from afar?”

“No,” Dani shot back with a grin, relieved Jamie was regaining some of her usual playfulness. “Well, maybe…but they just thought it was odd I’d invite someone who was a rather new friend, as I’d claimed, out to dinner with my visitors from out of town.”

“Perhaps not the best cover story,” Jamie agreed with a thoughtful nod. “Though I still think they were able to tell how much you liked me.”

“ _And_ ,” Dani continued, drawing the word out, “Hannah said that Mikey once told her he thought his sister had a crush on me.”

That seemed to wipe the smug look of Jamie’s face and replace it with one of shock. “He…what?”

Dani chuckled, “At the beginning of the school year he asked Hannah if girls could be interested in other girls, and Hannah, amazing woman that she is, told him yes and then asked why he wanted to know. According to her, he said it was because he thought ‘his sister has a crush on Miss Clayton’.”

Jamie shook her head in disbelief, “That little shit. Can’t believe he’s off blabbing to some librarian instead of asking me about it.”

“He probably didn’t want to upset you if he was wrong,” she stroked a hand through Jamie’s hair as a smug smile played on her lips, “Does make me wonder why he would have thought that. What exactly were you saying about me?”

“That’s between me and Mikey…and perhaps Hannah and half of the year seven class,” Jamie replied with a roll of her eyes.

“I’ll figure it out,” Dani teased as she leaned in to press a kiss to Jamie’s temple. “Even if I have to ask Mikey myself.”

Jamie’s hands rested on her hips and gave a gentle squeeze. “So your mum knows and your friends know…”

Dani could hear the unspoken question from the way Jamie had broached the topic right after her comment about talking to Mikey. “Most of my friends,” she corrected, “Still need to tell Rebecca, but yeah it’s probably time we think about properly telling your dad…and Mikey.”

Jamie smiled, but seemed to be holding back her full reaction as she gave her hips another gentle squeeze. “You okay with that?”

“Yeah…” Dani answered as she reflected on her feelings about it. “I think if we’re going to do this right, we need to tell him. We’ll just have to make sure he knows he can’t tell any of his friends. It has nothing to do with you, I just can’t have it getting out at school that I’m gay. I might lose my job over it and I really, _really_ don’t want that.”

“I don’t want that either,” Jamie agreed. “I’ll make sure Mikey understands that he can’t tell anyone, but he’s a good kid. And smart. I think he’ll understand why it’s important.”

“He is smart…just like his sister,” Dani said as she leaned in again to brush her lips over Jamie’s cheekbone, placing soft kisses along the side of her face, “Who is too smart to do anything impulsive and thoughtless like running away from her problems again, right?”

“Right,” Jamie promised as she wrapped her arms around Dani once more. The simple gesture seemed to confirm she wasn’t planning on letting Dani go – or trying to make her go, anytime soon.

Dani let out a pleased hum before placing a final kiss by Jamie’s ear, “Then I believe there was something you were going to ask me earlier? Something I so rudely interrupted.”

Jamie let out a breathy chuckle before pulling back enough to look into Dani’s eyes. There was a hint of nerves in her eyes, but a content smile already pulling at her lips. “Dani, will you be my girlfriend?”

Even though she’d prodded her into asking, an elated smile spread across Dani’s face all the same as if the question had been unprompted. “I’d love to,” she replied as she cupped Jamie’s face in her hands and connected their lips for a kiss filled with more excitement, relief, and comfort than any she’d ever experienced before.

Jamie’s hold on Dani tightened as she pulled her closer, her head tilted up as she enthusiastically deepened the kiss.

Dani melted into the sensation of Jamie’s lips moving against hers. She wasn’t sure if it was the confusion and hurt they’d been through over the past week that made this kiss feel so different from previous kisses, or the fact there was a shiny new label attached to their relationship. Either way, Dani tried to get out of her head enough to simply enjoy being kissed like her life depended on it by her _girlfriend_.

“Missed you,” Jamie murmured against her lips, seemingly more to herself than to Dani as she pulled her even closer.

Dani emitted a soft moan as Jamie’s tongue pressed into her mouth. Her hands moved up from where they were cupping Jamie’s face until they sank through dark curls, keeping her head firmly in place as she responded to the increasingly desperate kiss.

Jamie’s fingers trailed down Dani’s back with purpose until they ended up firmly gripping her backside and pushing her further down into Jamie’s lap.

Another moan escaped Dani and the burning knot of tension tightening low in her abdomen reminded her it had been nearly two weeks since she and Jamie had engaged in this type of intimacy. She was struck by the awareness that they were in a hotel room with no place to be; or at least, with no place she needed to be, though she’d be shocked if Jamie had any plans she wasn’t willing to change.

The thought of having Jamie, a private room, and endless time stretching before them further fueled the fire spreading throughout her body. Her want for Jamie was quickly turning into a need and she pulled away from the kiss. Before the question could leave Jamie’s lips, which were turned down in a confused frown, Dani’s hands were pushing at the fabric of Jamie’s jacket, urging it down her arms with a haste that betrayed her desperation to get Jamie undressed.

Jamie quickly caught on and matched Dani’s pace as they both worked to strip each other of their clothes as fast as possible. Dani stood from Jamie’s lap so she could undo her jeans and shove them down her legs. Jamie’s gaze was fixed hungrily on the smooth skin of her thighs while she made quick work of her own jeans.

Dani unhooked her bra while eagerly watching Jamie remove her own. Her gaze dropped down to watch as Jamie’s hands tugged her panties down, lifting her hips from the bed in order to remove them before Dani’s lustful gaze.

Before Dani could follow suit and remove the last article of her own clothing, Jamie reached out to grab her wrist, pulling her closer. Dani stepped over to the bed and watched as Jamie hooked her fingers under the waistband of her panties. The damp fabric was slowly worked down her thighs, which began to tremble slightly with the exertion of remaining on her feet with the amount of arousal and need coursing through her body.

Jamie’s gaze flicked up to meet her own as she leaned closer to press tender kisses along Dani’s stomach. She pushed the panties down until gravity took over to take them to the floor.

Dani stroked a hand reverently through Jamie’s hair as she watched the way she worked her lips over her abdomen. An excited twinge sparked between her thighs as the kisses began to trail lower. A thought surfaced in her mind from a hazy cloud of memories and the knot of arousal in her stomach tightened. She turned the thought over in her mind for a moment – it was something new they hadn’t tried before…but she had a feeling it was something they might both very much enjoy.

Dani tightened her grip on Jamie’s hair before the soft lips could make their way even lower and make Dani forget her new plan. She gave a sharp tug until Jamie’s head tilted up, her expression one of both confusion and arousal. It was hard for Dani not to smile at how adorable Jamie’s furrowed brow was, the hint of concern in her eyes as she searched Dani’s face.

“Move back on the bed,” Dani instructed. A smile formed on her lips as Jamie’s eyebrows shot up before doing as requested and settling herself back on the pillows. Dani let her gaze wander over Jamie’s figure, hungrily taking in the view before crawling on the bed to join her. As soon as she was within reach, Jamie’s hands were on her; her fingers gliding over her shoulders and back and urging her closer.

Dani straddled her hips and caught Jamie’s wandering hands as they stroked over her thighs. “I don’t think so,” she murmured as she pressed Jamie’s wrists into the mattress on either side of her body.

The confusion returned to Jamie’s expression as she tilted her head back against the pillow. Jamie was well aware that they were both in a similar state of arousal so she must have caught on that Dani’s actions had nothing to do with not wanting things to progress. “But…I,” Jamie began as her gaze drifted over Dani and she swallowed roughly. “Wanna take care of you. I’ve got a lot to make up for.”

Dani hummed thoughtfully as she kept hold of Jamie’s wrists. “You will,” she replied as a smirk turned up the corner of her mouth. Her stomach fluttered with nerves and she hoped she was correct in thinking Jamie was going to be on board with what she was about to suggest.

“But first, I think you need to be punished.”

Jamie’s eyes widened as her lips parted around a started gasp. Dani maintained her confident expression as best she could while checking for signs that Jamie was not into the idea.

“Fuck, Dani,” Jamie exhaled as her hands flexed in Dani’s grip, as if she was automatically reaching up to grip Dani before forgetting she was restrained. A slow smile spread across Jamie’s face as she processed the idea and her eyes shone brightly with excitement. “Yeah, I reckon you’re right.”

Dani grinned as she leaned closer, her hands tracing up along Jamie’s arms before bracketing her head to support herself as she leaned in to whisper to her. “Keep your hands to yourself, listen to what I say, and if you want to stop, just tell me.”

Jamie nodded her head quickly to indicate she understood the instructions. “Yeah, okay,” she breathed out, her gaze locked on Dani as she leaned back to straddle her lap once more. “Christ, Dani, this is so fucking hot.”

“Let’s see how much you’re enjoying it once I get started with you,” Dani replied, her voice containing an empty threat. They both knew this would only result in much anticipated pleasure for them both, but Dani was determined to drag that out for Jamie as much as she could to the point it was leaning closer to punishment than reward.

With her hands no longer restraining Jamie’s, she had to trust her to follow instructions. She wasn’t sure if Jamie would obey – or what she would do if she didn’t, but she tried not to overthink it. Taking charge in this manner was new to Dani and she knew if she overanalyzed it, she might become nervous over how far she was wading into uncharted waters. However, if she stayed in the moment, as she had been, she hoped she’d be able to pull this reversal in roles off in a way that was sure to satisfy them both.

Dani kept her gaze locked on Jamie’s as she traced her fingers gently down her arms, back up, over her collarbone, skirting around her breasts to slide over her stomach. She kept the touches feather-light and grinned at the way Jamie was already starting to shift impatiently beneath her. Every minute of every hour of the two weeks they’d gone without doing this was weighing heavily on both of them, creating an urgency and hunger that Dani was trying to ignore.

“So this is your punishment, yeah?” Jamie asked, her voice thick with lust as Dani continued to dance her fingers gently over her exposed flesh.

“Mhmm,” Dani confirmed as she ghosted her fingers over Jamie’s breasts until her nipples began to harden and strain for attention under her teasing touch. “The beginning of it anyway.”

Jamie groaned and pushed her head back against the pillow. The reaction brought a content smile to Dani’s face as she shifted her position further back to allow her gently stroking fingers to slide lower along Jamie’s abdomen, hips, and thighs.

“Dani,” Jamie whispered as her hands twisted into the sheets beneath her.

“Yes, Jamie?” She questioned as she kept her gaze fixed on the smooth skin she was caressing with the tips of her fingers. Her hands dipped lower to part Jamie’s slick folds, admiring the glistening evidence of arousal but not touching her where Jamie wanted her to.

“You’re a tease, do you know that?” Jamie grunted out as she watched Dani simply enjoying the telltale signs of how worked up she was for her already.

“You’re being punished,” Dani reminded her as she lifted her hands from Jamie’s body and placed them on her own thighs. “That’s the point,” she winked at Jamie as she started moving her hands up to her torso and to her breasts with the firmer pressure she knew Jamie had been seeking during her gentle exploration earlier.

Jamie emitted another groan, this one laced with far more vexation as Dani’s hands were no longer on her at all.

Dani merely smirked, pleased with herself for having discovered a seemingly effective punishment for Jamie. She pinched her nipples between two fingers and tugged enough to release a filthy moan purely for Jamie’s benefit, or rather, for her torture.

Hands moved automatically to grip Dani’s thighs as lust burned in Jamie’s eyes. The reaction brought a smirk to Dani’s lips as she released her hold on her breasts to take Jamie’s hands in her own. “What did I say?”

“Dunno,” Jamie replied, but allowed Dani to move her hands, “Something mean.”

Dani laughed as she pressed Jamie’s hands into the pillow on either side of her head. “Hands to yourself,” she reminded her, “Or we could always stop.” The threat had absolutely no teeth, both of them knew they would not be stopping. Not after spending so much time apart and after finally labeling their relationship. However, Jamie seemed to play along as she folded her hands behind her head and gave Dani a nod to continue.

“Alright, I’ll keep my hands off you, if that’s what you want. Just looking forward to getting back to the show.”

The playful comment amused Dani, but not enough for her to remember that rules had been broken. “Hands. To. Yourself.” She repeated, emphasizing each word as she dragged her nails down Jamie’s stomach, leaving thin pink lines in their wake. She knew it couldn’t be too hard to remember the instruction; it was one of the very few she’d given.

After she was satisfied that Jamie was following the rules, although it seemed to be quite a strain given the way her biceps flexed with concentrated effort to keep her hands behind her head, Dani brought her hands to her own body once more as she took her time exploring herself for Jamie to see, but not to touch.

Truthfully, Dani had to admit it was a bit of a punishment for herself as well. Although she could control how firmly she grasped her breasts, how quickly or slowly she slid one hand down her stomach to settle between her thighs, the pace at which she worked two fingers over her clit for Jamie to see – she was practically quivering at the thought of Jamie taking over and putting her hands and mouth all over her. Even though she was the one punishing Jamie and had set the rules for this round, she couldn’t deny that if Jamie broke them to take charge, she would only be too willing to forget about the punishment altogether.

However, Jamie managed to surprise her by keeping her hands in place, though it seemed to require an increasing amount of effort to do so. Dani decided to take some pity on her and stopped touching herself so she could slowly drag two fingers through Jamie’s folds.

Jamie let out a strangled cry at the contact and spread her thighs as much as she could from where her legs were still trapped between Dani’s. The eager reaction delighted Dani and she shifted to move one leg between Jamie’s, straddling only one thigh as she allowed Jamie to spread her thighs even wider to encourage Dani’s stroking fingers.

Her touch was still light, far too light to deliver any real relief, but Jamie seemed to find it preferable to the total lack of contact as she let out a soft moan.

“You like that?” Dani asked as she tilted her head to watch Jamie’s reaction to the teasing touch between her thighs. Her fingers brushed over her clit so lightly they might not have even touched the sensitive bud at all.

Jamie’s eyes searched her face, as if trying to determine if asking for more would backfire given that this was supposed to be a punishment. Finally, she settled on a nod, keeping silent to allow Dani to continue doing as she wished.

Dani’s own arousal was becoming hard to ignore as she looked at Jamie beneath her, very willingly at her mercy. She slid one finger slowly into her; from how worked up Jamie was, she knew she could easily tolerate a second finger, perhaps even a third, but Dani wasn’t done punishing her.

Jamie welcomed the intruding finger with a hum of approval as she shifted her hips, subtly asking Dani for more without saying anything. Dani merely smirked at her as she began moving her finger in and out almost painfully slowly. To ease the ache between her own thighs she shifted so she could press down against Jamie’s thigh, moving in a slow rhythm against the firm muscle to give herself some relief.

“I can feel how wet you are, baby,” Jamie groaned as her arms flexed even harder with the strain of not reaching out. “You sure you don’t want me to help you with that?”

“I’m good,” Dani insisted with as smug a smile as she could manage while she started to grind in earnest against Jamie’s thigh while matching the pace of her finger inside Jamie with the movement of her own hips.

As soon as she found a steady rhythm that began building the pressure low in her abdomen, Dani knew she wasn’t going to last long. Not with how much she’d missed Jamie, not with how worked up she’d gotten setting the rules, and definitely not with the way Jamie was watching her with lust blazing brightly in her eyes, her lower lip trapped between her teeth.

It took all of Dani’s focus to remember to keep moving the single finger inside Jamie, though she was fairly certain given how distracted Jamie looked, and how little Dani was doing to work her towards her climax, she wouldn’t mind if she took a break. However, she was determined to keep up the slow teasing as her own movements against Jamie’s thigh became faster and less controlled.

“You’re so damn beautiful,” Jamie murmured as she flexed the muscles in the leg beneath Dani to give her something a little more solid to move against.

Dani wanted to be annoyed because Jamie wasn’t supposed to be helping her in this way – _she_ was supposed to be the only one in control right now. However, the thought of saying something or stopping altogether was simply out of the question given how rapidly her orgasm was approaching. Instead, she greedily accepted the flexed muscles between her thighs as she pressed down harder, releasing a steady stream of whimpers and soft moans.

She held Jamie’s gaze as her breathing became more erratic; she was so close and they both knew it. Dani could practically hear the things just barely being held back by Jamie judging by her clenched jaw – requests to let go, praises to work her towards the edge. Maybe even something to combine the two, a request for her ‘to be a good girl and come’. The last thought, echoing through her mind in Jamie’s voice despite never having left her lips was what helped Dani reach her climax and she came with a breathy cry of Jamie’s name.

Jamie’s hands eased from behind her head and her arms hovered uncertainly in the air, “Am I allowed to hold you?”

A soft smile formed on Dani’s lips at the question. Even after punishing Jamie with slow and no control and no _touching_ , Jamie’s attentiveness still caused her heart to flutter. Though her leg muscles were a bit shaky, Dani wasn’t ready to be done so she shook her head. Her finger, which had stilled while she was distracted by her climax, began to thrust again, a bit faster.

After she caught her breath and regained some energy, Dani shifted so she was kneeling between Jamie’s thighs. Her gaze caught on the evidence of her arousal coating Jamie’s thigh and an embarrassed flush covered her cheeks as she reached her other hand out to skim her fingers over the wet patch.

“It was so hot,” Jamie murmured, perhaps noticing the pink tinge to Dani’s face as she ran her fingers over her thigh. “I miss touching you. And tasting you.”

Dani smirked at the second part, which was added with a playful wink. An idea popped into her mind and she glanced over at Jamie who was still watching her with hooded eyes. A shy smile crossed her face as she leaned up, bringing two of the fingers that had just been stroking over the wetness left behind on Jamie’s leg up until they were paused before the brunette’s full lips. Dani quirked an eyebrow, a silent inquiry as to whether Jamie would be willing to indulge her.

To her delight, Jamie parted her lips, her gaze locked on Dani’s as she accepted the fingers into her mouth to lick the traces of Dani’s arousal from them.

Dani barely held back her whimper at the display, but she could tell Jamie caught the way her breath hitched and knew how much it turned her on.

Jamie released a content hum when Dani finally withdrew her fingers. “Like I said – you’re a tease. When can I taste you for real?”

Dani’s thighs clenched together at the thought and she glanced down where she still had one finger buried inside Jamie. She decided her girlfriend had endured enough punishment for her crime and added another finger before working up to a pace she knew would get her off in no time.

A low moan indicated Jamie’s approval of the second finger and faster pace. Dani found herself increasingly impatient to watch Jamie come undone before her and she adjusted her position so she could duck her head down to suck her clit into her mouth.

She watched in fascination as Jamie began to squirm instantly under the duel sensation of the mouth firmly sucking while fingers thrusted at a steady pace. Dani quickly realized she’d significantly underestimated how turned on Jamie was from everything that happened as it wasn’t long before her back was arching, her hands tugging harshly at the sheets as she released a low moan.

Dani was as fascinated as always to watch Jamie come for her, but she found she wasn’t done with her yet. Not when she’d intended for this part to go on much longer than it had. She decided to slow the movement of her fingers, but not remove them, and she released her clit before it became too sensitive.

“Can I keep going?” She asked Jamie with hopeful eyes as she continued thrusting her fingers to try and work her back up towards a second peak.

Jamie managed to look surprised even in her post-orgasm daze, but she gave an encouraging nod. “Yeah,” she paused to shift her hips slightly and groaned as Dani continued to push in and out of her, “Fuck, if you want to, of course you can.”

Dani grinned as she was granted permission and leaned down to trail her tongue through the soaked folds, careful to avoid her still sensitive nub for now.

“Do I still have to keep my hands to myself?” Jamie asked a minute later as her hands flexed in the sheets.

After only a brief consideration, Dani shook her head, her tongue softly gliding side-to-side over her clit.

“Thank fuck,” Jamie exhaled as she brought both hands to wind in Dani’s hair, encouraging her closer between her thighs.

Dani was surprised by the gentle press of hands as she’d assumed Jamie would need more slow build up before working her in earnest towards a second climax. However, the answering moan she received when her tongue stroked firmly over her clit indicated that wasn’t the case.

“So good,” Jamie whispered as she combed through Dani’s hair before tightening her grip when Dani found the right amount of pressure. “Yes, just like that.”

Dani eagerly fed off the praise and continued the pressure that was requested as she picked up the pace of the fingers inside, curling them in the way Jamie liked. She knew if the grip on her hair got to be too much, she could pull back and Jamie would release her immediately. However, Dani has absolutely no plans to do so as Jamie’s desperation only heightened her own arousal.

The restraint Jamie had previously shown during her punishment seemed to have evaporated completely as her hips bucked further into the attention from Dani. Her grip in blonde hair tightened further, pressing her even closer as she released a moan.

Dani didn’t mind the impatience as Jamie directed her exactly where she needed her. Her tongue stroked firmly over her swollen clit while her fingers kept up the fast pace as best she could despite the cramp starting to form in her wrist. It wasn’t much longer until the stream of moans turned into a loud gasp of Dani’s name as Jamie’s back arched yet again while she held Dani close to work her through her orgasm. When the firm hold on her head finally loosened, Dani pulled back with a pleased smile and slowly extracted her fingers.

Jamie reached over to wrap a hand around Dani’s arm and pull her closer. It didn’t take any additional convincing for Dani to crawl up her body and tuck herself against Jamie’s side.

“Fuck, Dani,” Jamie murmured in awe as she stroked through Dani’s hair. “That was incredible.”

Dani grinned proudly before shifting to press tender kisses along Jamie’s jawline. “I don’t think a punishment is supposed to be ‘incredible’.” There was only fondness and a hint of humor in her words as she had always intended the punishment to be very enjoyable for Jamie and it seemed she was able to deliver.

“When you’re that gorgeous and amazing, I think anything you could possibly do to me I’d describe as incredible,” Jamie teased. “And while I did find it very hot when you were calling the shots, don’t expect that to happen every time.” As she spoke, Jamie began to turn on her side to face Dani, encouraging her to roll over onto her back.

“No?” Dani asked as she did her best to maintain her composure even as her heart began to race in her chest and her gaze flitted between Jamie’s lust-filled eyes and her amused smirk.

Jamie shook her head in response before leaning in to kiss her with an intensity that had Dani gasping into the kiss. She reached a hand up to thread through brown curls to hold her closer.

Jamie shifted until she was pressed against the side of Dani’s body, not breaking the kiss as she adjusted her position.

Dani released a soft moan as Jamie’s hand came up to wrap around her breast. The firm touch had her arching her back eagerly for more. While she was aware she’d missed Jamie’s touch, she hadn’t realized just how much until the feel of her hand on her breast, fingers tugging lightly on her nipple, sent shocks throughout her body that traveled directly to her core.

If she wasn’t effectively silenced by Jamie’s tongue slipping into her mouth, Dani would have begged Jamie to do something about the dull throb between her thighs. It hadn’t been long since her first climax, but it suddenly seemed entirely unsatisfactory compared to the highs she knew Jamie could take her to. Instead, she decided to channel her growing need for Jamie into the kiss as she brushed against her tongue with her own and tightened her hold on her hair.

An amused grunt escaped from Jamie and she seemed to pick up on the message Dani was trying to convey. With a final firm tug, she released her nipple and began trailing her fingers over the flat plane of Dani’s stomach.

At the first touch of Jamie’s hand between her thighs, Dani released a whimper as she parted her legs further to encourage her. Jamie, however, seemed to be in the mood for some payback as she took her time aimlessly stroking, but not settling over her clit or making a move to enter her.

Dani tried to focus on the kiss while Jamie had her fun, but eventually it became too much for her to bear. She pulled away from the kiss, ignoring the smirk on Jamie’s lips that suggested this was exactly what she’d been waiting for. “Jamie,” she whispered as she held her amorous gaze, “Please.”

Jamie’s grin turned wolfish as she leaned in to start kissing along Dani’s neck while her fingers began to trace lazy circles over her clit. It was more attention than she’d been getting but still not enough to work her up and she showed her displeasure through an impatient shift of her hips as she let out a whine.

“What do you want, love?” Jamie asked as she nipped over Dani’s fluttering pulse point.

Dani rolled her eyes at the question that had a very obvious answer. She almost ignored it, but realized that might only prolong getting what she wanted. “You know,” she replied in a tone that made it clear she wasn’t going to put up with Jamie playing dumb.

“Oh I definitely know,” Jamie agreed with a chuckle as she placed another kiss along her neck before leaning back enough to see Dani’s impatient expression. “Suppose I should have asked _how_ do you want it?”

Although Jamie’s expression was warm and affectionate and clear of any trace of smugness, Dani felt her face heat up as she processed the question. It was the first time it had been asked so directly; typically they just did what felt right in the moment, knowing the other person would stop them or redirect them if it wasn’t something they liked. Being asked to decide what she wanted was entirely new and she looked helplessly to Jamie.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting shy on me now after that display earlier,” Jamie said before leaning in to kiss along one of Dani’s flushed cheeks and down to her lips. “How do you want me to take care of you?” She asked again, her tone soft and earnest as she tenderly pecked Dani’s lips.

“Everything you do feels good,” Dani admitted, still trying to shy away from the question that caused her to flush more than she should. It was an easy enough question, but Dani had never put much thought into it; instead, she’d always opted to let Jamie decide what to do, just as Jamie let her decide how to use her fingers or her mouth when it was her turn.

“Good to know,” Jamie shot back with a playful wink. She continued placing kisses along Dani’s cheek and jaw until she reached her ear. “If you don’t want to choose, that’s fine,” she reassured her with a soft kiss to the sensitive area just below her ear. “But seeing as you put up with my dumb decisions and were so patient and amazing about it all, I just want to make sure I do whatever it is you want right now.” Jamie paused to suck gently on her earlobe before pulling it with her teeth. “Think of it as your reward for being such a good girl.”

Dani’s eyes widened and a soft gasp escaped at Jamie’s final comment. She could tell her reaction brought out Jamie’s smirk as another kiss was placed to her neck, but she couldn’t find it in her to care. She focused on the fingers still moving slowly between her legs and tried to think about what she most wanted in that moment. Given how worked up she was _before_ that teasing little comment, it didn’t take her long to decide.

“I want your fingers inside me,” she announced. Moments later, she let out a low moan as Jamie complied almost instantly and two fingers pushed into her.

Jamie leaned back once more, a pleased smile on her face. She opened her mouth, as if about to say something, or perhaps, ask something; however, she seemed to think better of it as she watched Dani who was looking up at her with wide, eager eyes.

“Do you want me to set the pace?”

Dani nodded rapidly. “Please” she gasped out before she could stop herself. While she appreciated Jamie checking in to try to give her exactly what she wanted, the thing she wanted most right now was simply to be at Jamie’s mercy.

It didn’t seem like Jamie had a problem with the request. Quite the opposite, in fact, as a grin spread across her face and her fingers picked up the pace. Encouraged by Dani’s answering moan and the way her short nails dug into her back, Jamie steadily increased the intensity of the thrusts until Dani was gasping out and pulling Jamie even closer.

“Is this what you want?” Jamie murmured with a teasing tone that indicated she already knew the answer. Her tongue dragged against Dani’s neck before she stopped to nip at a sensitive spot.

“Yes,” Dani exhaled; she couldn’t even find it in her to care about the teasing with all the wonderful things Jamie was doing to her. The words began pouring out as Jamie kept up the pace that was driving her quickly to the edge, “Yes, yes, god Jamie, yes!”

The sound that left Dani when Jamie added a third finger could only be described as obscene. Jamie’s mouth remained fixed to her neck, her lips, tongue, and teeth doing wicked things that only heightened her arousal to dangerous levels.

She felt the familiar sensation of her muscles contracting as her back began to arch from the mattress. From the way Jamie tightened her movements, making sure each thrust was angled in just the right way, it was obvious she was aware of Dani’s imminent climax as well.

A loud cry ripped from Dani’s throat and her nails bit into Jamie’s shoulder as her senses were nearly overwhelmed by the force of her orgasm. When her tense muscles finally relaxed, she felt nearly boneless as she sank into the bed. She wasn’t sure she had enough energy to even still Jamie’s hand, but the slight wince at the thrusting fingers clued Jamie to her sensitive state and she stopped before slowly and carefully extracting her fingers.

“You alright?” Jamie asked as she settled back against Dani’s side to hold her.

Dani nodded as she struggled to catch her breath. She turned her head to look at Jamie, “More than alright.”

A look of pride appeared on Jamie’s face before she leaned in to press a tender kiss to Dani’s lips. They exchanged soft and unhurried kisses as they both recovered and Dani reveled in the feel of Jamie’s body pressed so close to her own. After far too much distance over the past week, she felt like she couldn’t be close enough to Jamie. To her _girlfriend_. The reminder of their new label caused her to smile into the kiss.

Jamie leaned away, but didn’t put much distance between them as she looked down at Dani’s content expression. “Thank you.”

Dani tilted her head as she looked up at Jamie, “For the sex?” She had a feeling that wasn’t what Jamie meant, but couldn’t resist the urge to tease.

A soft chuckle escaped Jamie, “No,” she paused to reconsider and then dropped a quick kiss to her lips, “Well, I suppose I’m always thankful for that. But I meant thank you for coming here. For finding me and talking some sense into me. I know now that I was being an idiot for trying to make decisions for you and I just…well, I’m glad you didn’t let me. I’m glad you’re here.”

Dani smiled at the explanation and reached a hand up to stroke Jamie’s hair out of her face, tucking some strands behind her ear. “I’m glad I’m here too. It was a really hard week but going through all of that – finding you, coming here, talking to you. It was worth it. _You’re_ worth it.” Dani reassured her before cupping Jamie’s cheek and holding her gaze, “Just don’t do that again – once was enough.”

Jamie smiled as she turned her head to press a kiss to Dani’s palm. “I promise I won’t. Next time I’ll just talk to you. Try and be a proper girlfriend.”

Dani knew her grin was blinding as she pulled Jamie into for a kiss to convey just how much she loved hearing that word come out of Jamie’s mouth.

When they eventually parted for air, Jamie was looking at her with so much affection it made Dani’s heart stutter in her chest.

“So,” Jamie began as she cast a glance over to where Dani had deposited her backpack when she entered the room. “I don’t know if you had any plans…but this room’s paid through ‘til tomorrow. I’m hoping I can convince you to stay here with me tonight so I can take you out to dinner. Maybe explore the city a bit tomorrow before we head back?”

Dani smiled in relief at the confirmation that Jamie did intend on accompanying her back home and she nodded along with the plan. “Sounds perfect,” she agreed, giddy at the thought of getting to spend time with Jamie in a new city.

“Good,” Jamie said with a pleased nod before she pushed herself up and moved toward the side of the bed. “Well, I’d like to shower before I take a very beautiful woman out on a date. Try to clean myself up a bit.” She winked at Dani as she stood from the bed and stretched. “Care to join me?”

Dani’s eager nod and rush to follow her off the bed caused Jamie to emit a joyful laugh as she led the way to the bathroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The angst is over. Some of you might miss it, some not so much. Two chapters left and an epilogue!
> 
> Thank you, as always, for reading, leaving kudos, and/or commenting on this fic. I appreciate all of the comments and messages (on here, tumblr, discord - and the twitter screenshots I get sent) so so so much! More than I could ever express. This fic has been such a wild ride and even though it's winding down there will be plenty of oneshots in this universe to follow. 
> 
> I'll continue to update as often as I can, but I don't have any more chapters saved up so if the writing is slow going, it may be longer between updates. Shoutout to Raginage (thanks for the music) and Obsetress (thanks for the good vibes) for their encouragement and trying to keep me on track when I was struggling to get the writing/editing done for this chapter. And just thank you again to everyone for reading and/or sending kind feedback - it really does keep me motivated to write and post in a relatively timely manner!


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